Yesterday was a rest day, that is the polite way of saying that I did not get anything I had planned or hoped to accomplish done yesterday. I am Thankful that I have learned to embrace those days and accept them for what they are. I took the opportunity to reflect on 2015 and what it meant for me. Today my friends and classmates took a very important exam. The New York State Massage Therapy State Licensing Board Exam. While I am a bit disappointed to not be taking the exam with them, my energy and efforts are better focused on the positive. That being, I did not study over the break from school 12/12/14 through the New Year. I enjoyed that time with my family. Then I studied a small amount before I received notice that I was ineligible for the exam. Sure the information is fresh in my brain (after all I spent the last 6 months trying to cram it all in), instead I am taking the next 7 months making sure that I do in fact know all the information that I need to pass my board exam.
I am forever grateful for my long time friend Jennifer, because it does not matter what direction our lives take us, or how long we are apart. We simply need a telephone and twenty minutes. This past weekend we had the opportunity for a long over due Girls Weekend. We reconnected and shared over a bottle of wine, some SNL, Empire and Gone Girl.
I am thankful that on Tuesday night when I was taking out the trash I listened when I was compelled to look up. The winter night sky was clear and crisp. The stars were bright and beautiful.
I am thankful for the wonderful people who keep falling into my life, some for a brief period of time and others for longer. It seems (a friend confided in me) that I have the best luck and know all the right people.
I am thankful for the friend who pointed me in the direction of a much needed opportunity.
I am thankful for the friend who shared with me books when I had run out of reading material.
I am thankful for my new Oakworks bag for my table.
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
A Simpler Way to Organize/Declutter - Week 1
Last week I started on a journey to a simpler, cleaner and clutter free home. You can read about it here. This is my first weekly update. I had decided when I finished last week's post that I would start with my nightstand corner. I choose this spot for two reasons:
1. It was small and therefore would only require an hour to accomplish
2. I am having difficulty sleeping and part of that is the clutter that surrounds me when I put my head down to rest
That being said I almost chickened out and started on a project in the kitchen. Lulu was working on this:
When she is finished with this project it will go in the kitchen, but I realized that it was pointless to clean the white cabinet that this is intended for until this is ready, otherwise I'll just be cleaning it again when she finishes.
So instead I moved on to my nightstand corner:
That is one very cluttered nightstand, plus a bag of Mad Hatter Tea Party Props, and a lawn mower box with fruit boxes and trash in it.
These are the Mad Hatter Tea Party Props that I made from cardboard when Thia's school was doing Alice in Wonderland Junior. The Middle School kids painted the tea cups and tea pots. I have thought about doing some paper mache work on the interiors of the cups, and around the spouts and handles. Then I was thinking I would paint them vibrant colors and maybe sell them on a Craft page for another play or just for decor in someone's room.
This was part of the reason I shied away from this as my first project. This means I now have a deadline to finish this craft or recycle it (because it is cardboard).
This is everything that was on top of my night stand:
The black book is the School for Good and Evil, which as the last book Thia and I read together. I guess we need to find a new one. Then there is the instruction book and CD for my camera, my journal with Lulu, a candle, adhesive spray, gifts from Thia and a plastic file box top with assorted home improvement supplies and items to recycle.
This is what was inside the nightstand:
Empty American Girl outfit boxes (broken down and recycled), Two Harry Potter Books (destined to be part of a Little Library), an old journal of Thia's (reviewed and recycled), blue scarf, black silk scarf, and a dried out pot with 3 dried out bulbs in a plastic bag.
Empty and ready for a good cleaning. Before I cleaned the nightstand I broke down the lawn mower box (and stashed it for use in our raised garden beds this spring) and dusted the floor and lamp. I also rearranged the lamp and nightstand. I moved the nightstand and therefore my alarm clock further from my bed. There is no way for me to reach the alarm clock and hit snooze. I know that snooze is ultimately really bad for me, but I just have been so exhausted and in such a funk that I hit snooze (sometimes for up to an hour of just lying in bed waiting for the alarm to go off again). Now I have to get out of bed in order to turn off the alarm or hit snooze. Hopefully this will motivate me to get up when I wake up.
Clean and rearranged.
This is the scarf that was inside the nightstand. I'll be listing it for sale, if in two weeks it doesn't sell it will be marked and packaged for my garage sale.
This is the final result:
Want to check in with Victoria? Here is the link to her week one project.
How about you? Did you do something to simplify, organize or clean your home this week?
1. It was small and therefore would only require an hour to accomplish
2. I am having difficulty sleeping and part of that is the clutter that surrounds me when I put my head down to rest
That being said I almost chickened out and started on a project in the kitchen. Lulu was working on this:
When she is finished with this project it will go in the kitchen, but I realized that it was pointless to clean the white cabinet that this is intended for until this is ready, otherwise I'll just be cleaning it again when she finishes.
So instead I moved on to my nightstand corner:
This is everything that was on top of my night stand:
This is what was inside the nightstand:
This is the final result:
Want to check in with Victoria? Here is the link to her week one project.
How about you? Did you do something to simplify, organize or clean your home this week?
Monday, January 26, 2015
My To Do List Week Two
I previously posted a To Do List and I even thought that it might be interesting to post a daily to do list as the subject of a blog. A way for people to see what another person thinks are possible to accomplish in a single day. However, that isn't what this blog is about. Rather I think it will be an interesting concept to post a weekly to do list. So here is my to do list for the week of January 26, 2015:
Daily:
Wash, dry and put away the dishes
Laundry: wash, dry, fold and put away (as needed)
Sweep First and Second Floors
Make my bed
1 hour massage study
By Week's End:
1 task from my Weekly Organization/Declutter List
Business Proposal - draft letter to organization
Start Valentines Crafts
Complete Financial Aid Packet for Girls' Schooling
Keep in mind that this week my schedule looks like this:
Monday: out of the house 7:45am-5:30pm
Tuesday: out of the house 7:45-5:30pm
Wednesday: home
Thursday: home
Friday: out of the house 7:45-5:30pm
Saturday: out of the house 8:30-1:00pm
So what is on your to do list today? this week?
Daily:
Wash, dry and put away the dishes
Laundry: wash, dry, fold and put away (as needed)
Sweep First and Second Floors
Make my bed
1 hour massage study
By Week's End:
1 task from my Weekly Organization/Declutter List
Business Proposal - draft letter to organization
Start Valentines Crafts
Complete Financial Aid Packet for Girls' Schooling
Keep in mind that this week my schedule looks like this:
Monday: out of the house 7:45am-5:30pm
Tuesday: out of the house 7:45-5:30pm
Wednesday: home
Thursday: home
Friday: out of the house 7:45-5:30pm
Saturday: out of the house 8:30-1:00pm
So what is on your to do list today? this week?
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Thankful Thursdays
Remember when I declared that I was going to post for Thankful Thursdays? Well here we go.
Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in the month of November. More and more information is coming to light about the story of the First Thanksgiving. Some groups are devoted to getting to the roots of the tradition and preparing what would be a "traditional" meal.
My mother traces her roots to the Iroquois tribe of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and while I have always been drawn to the traditions of indigenous people I feel that my connection is more to the nature aspect of those traditions. I love that Iroquois and other Native People have a profound connection and reverence for nature and the spirits of those gone before us.
Personally, I don't care what, when or where the original Thanksgiving is or was. I LOVE the idea of Thanksgiving. I love any opportunity to get together with family and friends and be grateful and celebrate LIFE and the future.
So my goal is to be Thankful every Thursday of my life and that will carry over to the rest of the days of my life. People have said to me that I am a generally happy individual, and I let those people know that I have my dark days, but my hope is that I do put out a hopeful and positive outlook.
Today I am grateful for the time we had with Twizzle. On Tuesday evening after a long weekend and 3 visits to the Vet's office, Lu had to make the hard decision to put down Twizzle. I am grateful that we had the long weekend with him and that because of the steroids he was on he was eating and for a day and a half that he was himself; active and loving. I am grateful for the wonderful Vets and Vet Techs who were so caring, not just for our cat but for our family. Dr. Straka called Saturday Morning and Sunday Morning just to check in, when I called in on Tuesday late afternoon we were told to bring him right down. I am grateful that Lu was able to be part of his last moments to say her good-bye and gain that perspective and closure. I am grateful to the Vet who treated him on Tuesday who has offered to do a paw print for her to have as a token of her beloved pet.
I am Thankful that I have a home to live in, that my family is generally healthy and that my fridge is full of healthy, whole foods.
I am Thankful for the Women Entrepreneurs United (WEU) for being a wonderful supportive group of women who share their souls and vitality with all the members.
There is so much more to be Thankful for, but I want to make sure that each week I am being Thankful for something new and different and not repeating the same things.
How about you? How will your life change if you start looking for those things to be grateful for instead of dwelling on the small negatives in life?
Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in the month of November. More and more information is coming to light about the story of the First Thanksgiving. Some groups are devoted to getting to the roots of the tradition and preparing what would be a "traditional" meal.
My mother traces her roots to the Iroquois tribe of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and while I have always been drawn to the traditions of indigenous people I feel that my connection is more to the nature aspect of those traditions. I love that Iroquois and other Native People have a profound connection and reverence for nature and the spirits of those gone before us.
Personally, I don't care what, when or where the original Thanksgiving is or was. I LOVE the idea of Thanksgiving. I love any opportunity to get together with family and friends and be grateful and celebrate LIFE and the future.
So my goal is to be Thankful every Thursday of my life and that will carry over to the rest of the days of my life. People have said to me that I am a generally happy individual, and I let those people know that I have my dark days, but my hope is that I do put out a hopeful and positive outlook.
Today I am grateful for the time we had with Twizzle. On Tuesday evening after a long weekend and 3 visits to the Vet's office, Lu had to make the hard decision to put down Twizzle. I am grateful that we had the long weekend with him and that because of the steroids he was on he was eating and for a day and a half that he was himself; active and loving. I am grateful for the wonderful Vets and Vet Techs who were so caring, not just for our cat but for our family. Dr. Straka called Saturday Morning and Sunday Morning just to check in, when I called in on Tuesday late afternoon we were told to bring him right down. I am grateful that Lu was able to be part of his last moments to say her good-bye and gain that perspective and closure. I am grateful to the Vet who treated him on Tuesday who has offered to do a paw print for her to have as a token of her beloved pet.
I am Thankful that I have a home to live in, that my family is generally healthy and that my fridge is full of healthy, whole foods.
I am Thankful for the Women Entrepreneurs United (WEU) for being a wonderful supportive group of women who share their souls and vitality with all the members.
There is so much more to be Thankful for, but I want to make sure that each week I am being Thankful for something new and different and not repeating the same things.
How about you? How will your life change if you start looking for those things to be grateful for instead of dwelling on the small negatives in life?
Thursday, January 15, 2015
My To Do List
This is my current "To Do List":
Launder the Sheets
Clean Out the Clutter in the Powder Room
Clean Out the Clutter in my Up Office
Set Up a Functioning Down Office
Laundry
Clear Off Dinning Table so it can be used for Dinners
This is a long to do list and it is not intended to be a list that can be completed in a single day. Instead it is a list of items that I want to focus on until they are completed. I will update and adjust my to do list daily, possibly even hourly.
The point of a to do list for me is to have a guide for what I want to focus on, something to help keep me on track. I have heard over the years that for women in particular the longer the paper used to write the to do list on the longer the to do list. For many people it is important to keep the to do list short and simple. Something that can be achieved, something that can be checked off and completed. A sense of accomplishment.
A long to do list is overwhelming. Even for me. I am willing to be flexible and adjust as needed.
This morning I thought I would start with my downstairs office. The bulb burned out last week and I decided to find a replacement.
Search as I might I could only find bulbs intended for decorative candle lights or one single light for this lamp:
So I decided to be flexible, the bulb broke more than 3 years ago. I don't even remember how it broke. I think I was changing the sheets and maybe flicked the comforter to hard causing the bulb to smash into the ceiling. I left it alone because changing it meant to much work. Well today I decided to simply do it. I unplugged the light and used a pair of pliers to removed the base of the bulb. All the glass was gone or I would have tried the potato trick. It took me less than 60 seconds to remove the old bulb base. I replaced the bulb and while I was up there I noticed how dirty the top of the lamp was so I quickly dusted it off.
Then it made sense for me to change the sheets and launder the old ones. So less than 5 minutes later I had changed a bulb that had been broken for years and a freshly made bed to boot.
Now I am not super happy with my bedding, but it keeps us warm at night. The purple and grey comforter is what we registered for more than 15 years ago. I dream of fresh brightly colored comforters and sheets. I dream of soft organic cotton sheets. I have a plan but that plan will simply have to wait, because there are other projects that need to be completed and hey the comforter and blankets currently work.
Back to my to do list. I took the two candle bulbs down to my basement office and decided I would give them a try, then I remembered I had a floor lamp in there that had a bulb in it. So I swapped that bulb. The problem I had been struggling with in the basement office is the lack of an outlet.......
Look what I found when I changed the light bulb:
An outlet! I have a surge bar that I think I can work into the ceiling to allow me to plug in an additional floor lamp, a space heater for the winter and run my laptop. Now I need to get on to the organization of the space. I know this won't be a single day project (or maybe it will). (I did string up the surge protector but when I plugged in the space heater and the radio is tripped the switch, so I still need a solution to being able to power the space.)
I made some progress in the basement office. It is not done, but progress was made.
The dishes have been washed, dryed and put away, just in time to make new dishes for dinner. If I am really motivated I will wash, dry and put away the dishes after dinner.
Launder the Sheets
Clean Out the Clutter in my Up Office
Set Up a Functioning Down Office
Dishes:
Laundry
Clear Off Dinning Table so it can be used for Dinners
This is a long to do list and it is not intended to be a list that can be completed in a single day. Instead it is a list of items that I want to focus on until they are completed. I will update and adjust my to do list daily, possibly even hourly.
The point of a to do list for me is to have a guide for what I want to focus on, something to help keep me on track. I have heard over the years that for women in particular the longer the paper used to write the to do list on the longer the to do list. For many people it is important to keep the to do list short and simple. Something that can be achieved, something that can be checked off and completed. A sense of accomplishment.
A long to do list is overwhelming. Even for me. I am willing to be flexible and adjust as needed.
This morning I thought I would start with my downstairs office. The bulb burned out last week and I decided to find a replacement.
So I decided to be flexible, the bulb broke more than 3 years ago. I don't even remember how it broke. I think I was changing the sheets and maybe flicked the comforter to hard causing the bulb to smash into the ceiling. I left it alone because changing it meant to much work. Well today I decided to simply do it. I unplugged the light and used a pair of pliers to removed the base of the bulb. All the glass was gone or I would have tried the potato trick. It took me less than 60 seconds to remove the old bulb base. I replaced the bulb and while I was up there I noticed how dirty the top of the lamp was so I quickly dusted it off.
Then it made sense for me to change the sheets and launder the old ones. So less than 5 minutes later I had changed a bulb that had been broken for years and a freshly made bed to boot.
Now I am not super happy with my bedding, but it keeps us warm at night. The purple and grey comforter is what we registered for more than 15 years ago. I dream of fresh brightly colored comforters and sheets. I dream of soft organic cotton sheets. I have a plan but that plan will simply have to wait, because there are other projects that need to be completed and hey the comforter and blankets currently work.
Back to my to do list. I took the two candle bulbs down to my basement office and decided I would give them a try, then I remembered I had a floor lamp in there that had a bulb in it. So I swapped that bulb. The problem I had been struggling with in the basement office is the lack of an outlet.......
Look what I found when I changed the light bulb:
An outlet! I have a surge bar that I think I can work into the ceiling to allow me to plug in an additional floor lamp, a space heater for the winter and run my laptop. Now I need to get on to the organization of the space. I know this won't be a single day project (or maybe it will). (I did string up the surge protector but when I plugged in the space heater and the radio is tripped the switch, so I still need a solution to being able to power the space.)
I made some progress in the basement office. It is not done, but progress was made.
The dishes have been washed, dryed and put away, just in time to make new dishes for dinner. If I am really motivated I will wash, dry and put away the dishes after dinner.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Happy New Year! 20!5
Today was the first day of 20!5 and I enjoyed it. But let's back track to how we rang in the New Year:
With homemade dairy free cocoa and grain free pumpkin cake:
The girls and I made it to midnight. We watched some Star Trek the Next Generation with the hubs, and then The Princess Bride. Unfortunately for the hubs about 2/3 of the way through The Princess Bride he had to head to bed to deal with his headache.
The girls and I choose to watch Ice Age after that and finished out with some David Letterman.
I woke up (late) and managed to finally put Christmas 2014 away:
In putting away all the Christmas stuff I managed to consolidate down and eliminated two boxes. The tree is still standing in the corner, but hopefully the hubs and I will be able to put that away tomorrow.
I played some Candy Crush (yes I am officially addicted) and cleaned out some spoiled food from my fridge. I have to say I was incredibly disappointed with the last 2 produce picks from Aldi's. I guess I'll just have to go back to shopping the Public Market (brrr) and Abundance Co-op.
I am keeping with my intention for 2015 to spend more time with friends. Since my girls were born I have put many friendships on the back burner and 2015 is the year that I am making every effort to reconnect.
Tonight all 4 of us (plus a guest of Thia's) are headed to the Skinny White Boy Chef's place where, he and Courtney are making us Chicken Anastasia. I am bringing this lovely pan of potatoes (yes that is a turkey roaster FULL of potatoes)
As well as a large salad.
I kept up with the dishes today, and have decided in addition to not going to bed with dirty dishes in the sink I am going to make it part of my efforts to make sure that I dry and put away all the dishes every night before I go to bed.
Tomorrow the girls and I will make Vision Boards.....
With homemade dairy free cocoa and grain free pumpkin cake:
The girls and I choose to watch Ice Age after that and finished out with some David Letterman.
I woke up (late) and managed to finally put Christmas 2014 away:
In putting away all the Christmas stuff I managed to consolidate down and eliminated two boxes. The tree is still standing in the corner, but hopefully the hubs and I will be able to put that away tomorrow.
I played some Candy Crush (yes I am officially addicted) and cleaned out some spoiled food from my fridge. I have to say I was incredibly disappointed with the last 2 produce picks from Aldi's. I guess I'll just have to go back to shopping the Public Market (brrr) and Abundance Co-op.
I am keeping with my intention for 2015 to spend more time with friends. Since my girls were born I have put many friendships on the back burner and 2015 is the year that I am making every effort to reconnect.
Tonight all 4 of us (plus a guest of Thia's) are headed to the Skinny White Boy Chef's place where, he and Courtney are making us Chicken Anastasia. I am bringing this lovely pan of potatoes (yes that is a turkey roaster FULL of potatoes)
As well as a large salad.
I kept up with the dishes today, and have decided in addition to not going to bed with dirty dishes in the sink I am going to make it part of my efforts to make sure that I dry and put away all the dishes every night before I go to bed.
Tomorrow the girls and I will make Vision Boards.....
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Saying Goodbye to 2014
What a year it has been. One year ago I asked the Universe to guide me on a path where I could enjoy what I do, find financial freedom and help people. I thought I knew what that path was. I thought that path would include educating people about safe usage of essential oils and living a more natural lifestyle. That was the birth of this blog. Lulu and I talked about doing a blog together. We settled on a name and finally set it up.
Then the unexpected. In March I was let go from my position as a legal assistant and office manager. I had worked in that small office for 2.5 years. I saw it as an opportunity. For years I had thought about becoming a massage therapist. I know so many wonderful people who are massage therapists. I even looked into the OSTM night program. I had a plan to do the night program when Thia graduated from high school.
After discussing the possibility with my dear hubby we decided I should go ahead and change careers. I went to OSTM and enrolled in the next session. That session didn't start until July. I had planned on doing the 1 year program and toyed with the idea of working part time if my unemployment was not extended for the training program.
On day 1 of the program I met some wonderful women (Peg and Hannah) who convinced me to switch over to the 6 month program. I am so glad I did.
2014 has not been an easy year, but it has put me on the path to so much happiness. On Monday, January 5, 2014 I will begin my career as a massage therapist.
So tonight as I spend time with my family (watching Star Trek The Next Generation, The Princess Bride and whatever other movies my girls select) I am grateful for the year that brought us to this point.
Then the unexpected. In March I was let go from my position as a legal assistant and office manager. I had worked in that small office for 2.5 years. I saw it as an opportunity. For years I had thought about becoming a massage therapist. I know so many wonderful people who are massage therapists. I even looked into the OSTM night program. I had a plan to do the night program when Thia graduated from high school.
After discussing the possibility with my dear hubby we decided I should go ahead and change careers. I went to OSTM and enrolled in the next session. That session didn't start until July. I had planned on doing the 1 year program and toyed with the idea of working part time if my unemployment was not extended for the training program.
On day 1 of the program I met some wonderful women (Peg and Hannah) who convinced me to switch over to the 6 month program. I am so glad I did.
2014 has not been an easy year, but it has put me on the path to so much happiness. On Monday, January 5, 2014 I will begin my career as a massage therapist.
So tonight as I spend time with my family (watching Star Trek The Next Generation, The Princess Bride and whatever other movies my girls select) I am grateful for the year that brought us to this point.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
What The New Year Holds For Me!
Another day draws to a close, and I have accomplished nothing. I have decided that it is important for me to get up and get dressed. I am also going to give myself a to do list with 5 items on it. I plan to accomplish those 5 things before I sit down to the computer or to the television.
What I have accomplished is keeping up with the dishes. Since before Christmas I have managed to keep up with the dishes and not head to bed until the dishes are washed. This is where I began.
Tomorrow I am going to clean the stove top.
I also stumbled upon the blog Refashionista and I am inspired. While I cannot sew a stitch, I am inspired to turn the clothes I no longer fit or wear into something new. In the past year I have lost nearly 20 pounds and have quite a few items that no longer fit or flatter. I could head to the thrift store and find some new pieces, but money is tight and I would prefer not to spend what I don't have to spend.
I am also going to begin the year of the purge. I am getting rid of everything that doesn't serve a purpose. My plan is to go room by room and simply ask myself: keep, sell, toss, recycle, upcycle or gift.
Anything I am keeping will have to be put in its permanent home.
Those items I want to sell will be cleaned and prepped for selling and a tag added. They will be listed on the facebook page I am part of. Items will be listed for two weeks only and then either donated to the thrift store or stored for my summer neighborhood garage sale.
Items to be tossed will be taken directly out to the trash bin, and those items that can be recycled will be placed in the recycle bin.
Upcycled items will be placed on a shelf in my office with a tag for what I plan to up-cycle it. If at the end of the month I haven't upcycled the item then it will go the way of trash, recycle or donation.
Gift items will be stored on a separate shelf in my office.
Any item I am iffy about will find a home in a box in my office. It can sit in that box until the end of the month and then it will find a new home.
These are my guidelines, and I will break them if need be. For example if I want to upcycle an item and it requires materials I do not have the funds for I will consider setting that project aside until I have the funds to complete the project.
This is almost a one touch rule.
What I have accomplished is keeping up with the dishes. Since before Christmas I have managed to keep up with the dishes and not head to bed until the dishes are washed. This is where I began.
Tomorrow I am going to clean the stove top.
I also stumbled upon the blog Refashionista and I am inspired. While I cannot sew a stitch, I am inspired to turn the clothes I no longer fit or wear into something new. In the past year I have lost nearly 20 pounds and have quite a few items that no longer fit or flatter. I could head to the thrift store and find some new pieces, but money is tight and I would prefer not to spend what I don't have to spend.
I am also going to begin the year of the purge. I am getting rid of everything that doesn't serve a purpose. My plan is to go room by room and simply ask myself: keep, sell, toss, recycle, upcycle or gift.
Anything I am keeping will have to be put in its permanent home.
Those items I want to sell will be cleaned and prepped for selling and a tag added. They will be listed on the facebook page I am part of. Items will be listed for two weeks only and then either donated to the thrift store or stored for my summer neighborhood garage sale.
Items to be tossed will be taken directly out to the trash bin, and those items that can be recycled will be placed in the recycle bin.
Upcycled items will be placed on a shelf in my office with a tag for what I plan to up-cycle it. If at the end of the month I haven't upcycled the item then it will go the way of trash, recycle or donation.
Gift items will be stored on a separate shelf in my office.
Any item I am iffy about will find a home in a box in my office. It can sit in that box until the end of the month and then it will find a new home.
These are my guidelines, and I will break them if need be. For example if I want to upcycle an item and it requires materials I do not have the funds for I will consider setting that project aside until I have the funds to complete the project.
This is almost a one touch rule.
Friday, December 26, 2014
Post Christmas Wrap Up!
Not that long ago I decided I was going to attempt to post a single post everyday for one full year. 365 posts. I've already missed 2 posts. The first because I was just overwhelmed and exhausted. The 2nd was yesterday.
Yesterday was Christmas.
I celebrate Christmas.
Maybe not in the same way a lot of people do, but I celebrate.
Christmas to me is a time for family, a time for giving and a time for joy.
This was my Christmas:
Christmas Eve the hubs, the girls and I went to his Aunt D's house. We noshed, we gifted, we caught up with family members we hadn't seen in 6 months and others we hadn't seen in a year or more. I really enjoy these gatherings and the opportunity to catch up.
We returned home around 8:30 p.m.
Lulu and I still had some baking to do, and Thi-Thi still had some mochis to sew. Lulu and I made the dough and baked the gluten free empanadas and stolen. Both turned out lovely, but I want to play with the dough to see how truly thin we can roll it. The next time we make the dough, I'll share the link to the blog we found it on, along with pictures of whatever we are baking with it. I parboiled the potatoes (ala Jamie Oliver's Christmas Baked Smashed Potatoes) and we made Gluten Free cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon rolls were my absolute favorite. We had been looking for a grain free recipe that was still soft and tasty. These hit the spot! Again we want to play with this recipe to see if we can make larger rolls (keep in mind with grain free the dough doesn't rise).
Then of course the kitchen had to be cleaned up. I washed and dried dishes.
I always wrap presents on Christmas Eve. I have visions of wrapping things as I get them (and visions of getting things through out the year) so that on Christmas Eve I just need to pull out the gifts and put them under the tree. There is always next year.
I finished wrapping a few minutes past midnight. I went to bed. Originally I thought if I finished my Christmas preparations by 10:00 p.m. I would do a simply Merry Christmas blog and set it to auto-post. By 10:30 I realized I would not be able to prep a post. I thought about blogging Christmas Day after breakfast, and after my girls did presents.
Then is was 7:30 Christmas morning and time for me to get up. Fortunately, we trained our girls early to wait on Christmas morning. They were not allowed to get up and run down stairs and open presents. Our rule was that they had to wait to go down stairs until Mom and Dad had gone downstairs and had coffee AND that they had to wait to open presents until my parents arrived in the morning. They could open stockings but everything else had to wait. So my girls have always slept in on Christmas morning.
This year I actually had to wake them up.
I got the cinnamon roll dough out of the fridge to let it come to room temperature. I put the empanadas and the stolen in the oven to warm up. I set the table and rearranged the furniture.
My parents arrived at 8:30 (which is early for them, usually it is closer to 9:30), and we had breakfast before we even did stockings or presents. After breakfast the girls opened their stockings, the hubs opened his stocking and I opened my stocking.
Last year, Lulu took on the task of filling my stocking. The year before that she asked why my stocking was mostly empty. I told her that because I do all the stockings it is tough for me to come up with my own stocking stuffers. Instead I just put in my toothbrush, razor refills, soap and a chocolate item that we all get. Everything else in the stockings is personal to that person.
Last year, Lulu worked the previous summer and had some money so she bought a lot of items and filled my stocking. It was touching. I thought it was the best stocking ever! Then I opened my stocking this year. While I had limited funds this year, she had only $10. She bought my favorite tea and a chocolate bar (with Chai spice) but what made this stocking the best ever was the rest of the items she made. She made me hand warmers which she stitched a peacock feather and a heart in peacock colors on. She made me a bracelet and a wire pendant. She made me an infinity scarf and I am sure I missed something, but it made me so happy I nearly cried.
My girls received all hand made items from me and Santa and Thi-Thi stated "Best Christmas Ever"
While they received items that were from Amazon and/or store bought they items that made them happy and everyone else happy were the items that were handmade for them or by them.
They were both super excited to be giving out hand drawn cards, candles and soaps they made along with some sewn crafts. I'll let Lulu tell you about the Studio Ghibli basket she made her sister.
After gifts I had to clean up the kitchen from breakfast.
Then my parents and I hung out and chatted for a while. Eventually it was time to put out the grazing platters and prepping Christmas Dinner. While I took plenty of breaks and spent time with my family I was go go going all day long. I realized before lunch that it was more important to me to spend the time with my family and be present in the moment than to simply post a blog post.
So however you spent yesterday I hope it was a good day and that you were present to all the joy.
Yesterday was Christmas.
I celebrate Christmas.
Maybe not in the same way a lot of people do, but I celebrate.
Christmas to me is a time for family, a time for giving and a time for joy.
This was my Christmas:
Christmas Eve the hubs, the girls and I went to his Aunt D's house. We noshed, we gifted, we caught up with family members we hadn't seen in 6 months and others we hadn't seen in a year or more. I really enjoy these gatherings and the opportunity to catch up.
We returned home around 8:30 p.m.
Lulu and I still had some baking to do, and Thi-Thi still had some mochis to sew. Lulu and I made the dough and baked the gluten free empanadas and stolen. Both turned out lovely, but I want to play with the dough to see how truly thin we can roll it. The next time we make the dough, I'll share the link to the blog we found it on, along with pictures of whatever we are baking with it. I parboiled the potatoes (ala Jamie Oliver's Christmas Baked Smashed Potatoes) and we made Gluten Free cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon rolls were my absolute favorite. We had been looking for a grain free recipe that was still soft and tasty. These hit the spot! Again we want to play with this recipe to see if we can make larger rolls (keep in mind with grain free the dough doesn't rise).
Then of course the kitchen had to be cleaned up. I washed and dried dishes.
I always wrap presents on Christmas Eve. I have visions of wrapping things as I get them (and visions of getting things through out the year) so that on Christmas Eve I just need to pull out the gifts and put them under the tree. There is always next year.
I finished wrapping a few minutes past midnight. I went to bed. Originally I thought if I finished my Christmas preparations by 10:00 p.m. I would do a simply Merry Christmas blog and set it to auto-post. By 10:30 I realized I would not be able to prep a post. I thought about blogging Christmas Day after breakfast, and after my girls did presents.
Then is was 7:30 Christmas morning and time for me to get up. Fortunately, we trained our girls early to wait on Christmas morning. They were not allowed to get up and run down stairs and open presents. Our rule was that they had to wait to go down stairs until Mom and Dad had gone downstairs and had coffee AND that they had to wait to open presents until my parents arrived in the morning. They could open stockings but everything else had to wait. So my girls have always slept in on Christmas morning.
This year I actually had to wake them up.
I got the cinnamon roll dough out of the fridge to let it come to room temperature. I put the empanadas and the stolen in the oven to warm up. I set the table and rearranged the furniture.
My parents arrived at 8:30 (which is early for them, usually it is closer to 9:30), and we had breakfast before we even did stockings or presents. After breakfast the girls opened their stockings, the hubs opened his stocking and I opened my stocking.
Last year, Lulu took on the task of filling my stocking. The year before that she asked why my stocking was mostly empty. I told her that because I do all the stockings it is tough for me to come up with my own stocking stuffers. Instead I just put in my toothbrush, razor refills, soap and a chocolate item that we all get. Everything else in the stockings is personal to that person.
Last year, Lulu worked the previous summer and had some money so she bought a lot of items and filled my stocking. It was touching. I thought it was the best stocking ever! Then I opened my stocking this year. While I had limited funds this year, she had only $10. She bought my favorite tea and a chocolate bar (with Chai spice) but what made this stocking the best ever was the rest of the items she made. She made me hand warmers which she stitched a peacock feather and a heart in peacock colors on. She made me a bracelet and a wire pendant. She made me an infinity scarf and I am sure I missed something, but it made me so happy I nearly cried.
My girls received all hand made items from me and Santa and Thi-Thi stated "Best Christmas Ever"
While they received items that were from Amazon and/or store bought they items that made them happy and everyone else happy were the items that were handmade for them or by them.
They were both super excited to be giving out hand drawn cards, candles and soaps they made along with some sewn crafts. I'll let Lulu tell you about the Studio Ghibli basket she made her sister.
After gifts I had to clean up the kitchen from breakfast.
Then my parents and I hung out and chatted for a while. Eventually it was time to put out the grazing platters and prepping Christmas Dinner. While I took plenty of breaks and spent time with my family I was go go going all day long. I realized before lunch that it was more important to me to spend the time with my family and be present in the moment than to simply post a blog post.
So however you spent yesterday I hope it was a good day and that you were present to all the joy.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Conversations with the Universe
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine the telephone ringing....
(OK open your eyes and just picture in your mind the following scenario)
Bring..... Bring.....
"Hello..."
"Hello, is this Tree?"
"Yes?"
"Well Tree this is the Universe calling and everything you want, everything you dreamed is just sitting there waiting for you to grab hold of it."
Click...
Now the Universe isn't really going to pick up the phone and call me, or you, but at the beginning of 2014 I set an intention. I set the intention that I was going to be helping people and I was finally going to be happy.
My whole life had been planned out (in part by me, in response to what I thought would make others happy or proud)since I was in the third grade. I was going to graduate high school in the top 10%, I was going to college and then law school, I was going to do great things as a lawyer and even make partner by age 30.
I try to remember why I wanted to be a lawyer in the first place, it is not an easy thing. I was the youngest child and my earliest memories are of being compared to my older siblings. I was the "healthy one". My oldest sister was late (requiring a c-section) and was as a result a very large baby. She was always big for her age (much like my youngest child). She was not the smartest, but she had a big heart. My middle sister was unhealthy from the start. She was jaundiced and suffered from colic. She was a finicky child, and had a host of issues growing up.
I was the "healthy child". We didn't really have the opportunity to explore sports and art. When it came to playing with the neighbor kids (just the one set at the top of the hill) I wasn't very fast, I wasn't great at frisbee or soccer. So I assumed I was just a mediocre athlete. When it came to art projects I never saw my macaroni art as "worthy" (wonder where my kids get their self-criticism from?).
In my household artsy careers were really frowned upon. I know that my parents wanted what was best for us, and they thought that meant pushing us to be what they defined as successful. I had an educational debate (argument) with my teacher when I was in the third grade (I won) and from that point forward I was told I would be an excellent lawyer. I latched on to that as it was the first thing that I seemed to be good at.
I was a smart kid, but I wasn't the smartest kid. I wasn't very good at singing, or playing music, and my two left feet had me less than coordinated.
Lawyering was something I could excel at, and this is how this became my plan in life.
I thought I could do some good, maybe work in the public sector. Then in my undergraduate studies I married a wonderful man who helped me see that there was more to life than a plan that made everyone else happy. Yet still I felt pressured to go down the law school path, but I hated it. I stayed at home with my girls. I LOVED being a stay at home mom, but the comments would bother me.
"Since you don't do anything anyways..... would you mind....."
"It is such a waste for someone as smart as you to be at home with the kids..."
"When do you think you'll get back on track?"
I felt pressured to go back to work, and I WANTED to go back to work. I craved the accolades that I got for being good at what I do. I craved conversations that didn't start with "why" and end with "why". So I went back to work as a paralegal.
I was good at being a paralegal and I felt like it was a good compromise. I was in the legal field and I was good at it. I however wasn't helping people. Just the opposite.
I started in a foreclosure firm, where it was my job to take away houses and get them sold at auction. I had to field phone calls from homeowners with sob stories and at the end of my 60 hour week I felt lousy.
I moved on to work in business and tax law. This felt good. There was no bad guy and no good guy. But this wasn't helping people. Eventually, I ended up working in insurance defense, it was our firm's job to give people nothing or as little as possible, to prove that people weren't really injured or not as injured as they claimed, or if they were injured it wasn't our insured's fault....
I was working long hours and ultimately I felt lousy about the kind of work I was doing.
So at the start of 2014 I put out the intention that I would be happy in 2014 and I would be doing something that HELPED people. I thought the path I would take was one of teaching wellness classes using essential oils as a platform. I met wonderful women who showed me that I was not alone in wanted to empower individuals to take charge of their wellness and lives. In early March 2014 the Universe apparently felt I wasn't taking the call and gave me a big shove. I was let go from my job of almost 3 years.
I was suddenly (but truly not unexpectedly) unemployed. I went through the paces, I looked for replacement work. I was at the top of the income bracket and the jobs just weren't there.
On a whim I decided to head over to the massage school less than .5 mile from my home. I had been to the website before. I had even considered enrolling in their night program once my youngest graduated from high school. So I met with a fiery woman in admissions who gave me the information and tools I needed to make a decision.
I discussed it with my husband, and with his support I made the decision to enroll.
I was terrified. What if after spending all this time and money it didn't work out? Every time there was doubt in my heart, there was a light along my path. A comment from an instructor ("one of the best massages I have ever received from a student or a pro"), fellow students encouraging each other to achieve our dreams, or women in the world pushing me to reach for my dreams.
On the first day of hands on we discussed the techniques and styles we would be learning. One of them was pregnancy. From that moment forward I knew I wanted to do pregnancy massage. I didn't know why, but I knew I wanted to.
I aced the pregnancy course, and I am eager to find additional material to learn more about pregnancy.
Again fear crept in and I wondered could I be successful in a pregnancy focused practice?
As fate would have it, we were preparing our business plans as part of our business course and I Googled "pregnancy massage, Rochester, New York". Several companies (spa and private practice) came up that offered pregnancy massage, but only one that was truly pregnancy focused. Her website was professional (not just a template) and well thought out. I hesitated. I wanted to reach out to her and just chat with her.
Just at that moment Tom came down to check on the progress we were making on our business plans and he asked me "Have you researched if there are any other pregnancy practices in the area?"
"Actually, yes."
"And..."
"There is one. Her website is well crafted and professional."
"You should reach out to her, she is a graduate and I think she would love to chat with you...."
So I did, and she was very open to chatting with me and mentoring me. She is a wonderful women who is successful. I thought I would need to start under someone, and she assured me that once I am licensed if I put my business out there (professionally) then I will have no trouble finding clients (she'll even send some my way).
Meeting with her boosted my confidence and I started to think more seriously about my true business plan. I started to worry about affording space, and finding a space that I could meet new clients before traveling to them in their homes. Again the universe called and a friend who is an inspiration posted about have a room for rent in her space. We met and it is perfect. So in mid-March or early April (when I get my license) I will be working out of Awakened Athlete (the former Baby Bump Academy).
Again I started to doubt my success with a pregnancy focused practice (will it be affordable, will women be willing to take care of themselves) and the universe called again. Due to the large snowstorm last week the regular meeting of Women Entrepreneurs United was rescheduled. I was fortunate to attend one meeting in the early summer before I started massage school, but due to timing wasn't going to be able to attend again until January 2015. The meeting was rescheduled for this morning, so I was able to attend.
Brenda led us through a discussion about fear. What is our biggest fear? For me my biggest fear is FAILURE. This has been a decade long dream (not the pregnancy practice, but becoming a LMT and helping people) so what if I fail? Being able to put that fear out in the open with a group of supportive women (who have faced the same fear) was helpful. I recognize that I am afraid of failing, but also that the only way I can fail is to not act, or to give up once I have started.
The theme for 2015 is intention, and Coleen shared an image of a Kite with its tail just whipping in the wind. It made me think. I am going to create a kite for 2015 and tie my intentions to the tail. This will be a functional kite so once it is complete I'll have to take it out on a windy day and let it soar. Then as the year goes on I can add intentions to the tail and each time take it out and fly it. When it is not flying high it will be on my office wall where it can be a daily inspiration and reminding to keep soaring for my dreams.
I am grateful to the Universe for always bringing the right person into my life at just the right time.
(OK open your eyes and just picture in your mind the following scenario)
Bring..... Bring.....
"Hello..."
"Hello, is this Tree?"
"Yes?"
"Well Tree this is the Universe calling and everything you want, everything you dreamed is just sitting there waiting for you to grab hold of it."
Click...
Now the Universe isn't really going to pick up the phone and call me, or you, but at the beginning of 2014 I set an intention. I set the intention that I was going to be helping people and I was finally going to be happy.
My whole life had been planned out (in part by me, in response to what I thought would make others happy or proud)since I was in the third grade. I was going to graduate high school in the top 10%, I was going to college and then law school, I was going to do great things as a lawyer and even make partner by age 30.
I try to remember why I wanted to be a lawyer in the first place, it is not an easy thing. I was the youngest child and my earliest memories are of being compared to my older siblings. I was the "healthy one". My oldest sister was late (requiring a c-section) and was as a result a very large baby. She was always big for her age (much like my youngest child). She was not the smartest, but she had a big heart. My middle sister was unhealthy from the start. She was jaundiced and suffered from colic. She was a finicky child, and had a host of issues growing up.
I was the "healthy child". We didn't really have the opportunity to explore sports and art. When it came to playing with the neighbor kids (just the one set at the top of the hill) I wasn't very fast, I wasn't great at frisbee or soccer. So I assumed I was just a mediocre athlete. When it came to art projects I never saw my macaroni art as "worthy" (wonder where my kids get their self-criticism from?).
In my household artsy careers were really frowned upon. I know that my parents wanted what was best for us, and they thought that meant pushing us to be what they defined as successful. I had an educational debate (argument) with my teacher when I was in the third grade (I won) and from that point forward I was told I would be an excellent lawyer. I latched on to that as it was the first thing that I seemed to be good at.
I was a smart kid, but I wasn't the smartest kid. I wasn't very good at singing, or playing music, and my two left feet had me less than coordinated.
Lawyering was something I could excel at, and this is how this became my plan in life.
I thought I could do some good, maybe work in the public sector. Then in my undergraduate studies I married a wonderful man who helped me see that there was more to life than a plan that made everyone else happy. Yet still I felt pressured to go down the law school path, but I hated it. I stayed at home with my girls. I LOVED being a stay at home mom, but the comments would bother me.
"Since you don't do anything anyways..... would you mind....."
"It is such a waste for someone as smart as you to be at home with the kids..."
"When do you think you'll get back on track?"
I felt pressured to go back to work, and I WANTED to go back to work. I craved the accolades that I got for being good at what I do. I craved conversations that didn't start with "why" and end with "why". So I went back to work as a paralegal.
I was good at being a paralegal and I felt like it was a good compromise. I was in the legal field and I was good at it. I however wasn't helping people. Just the opposite.
I started in a foreclosure firm, where it was my job to take away houses and get them sold at auction. I had to field phone calls from homeowners with sob stories and at the end of my 60 hour week I felt lousy.
I moved on to work in business and tax law. This felt good. There was no bad guy and no good guy. But this wasn't helping people. Eventually, I ended up working in insurance defense, it was our firm's job to give people nothing or as little as possible, to prove that people weren't really injured or not as injured as they claimed, or if they were injured it wasn't our insured's fault....
I was working long hours and ultimately I felt lousy about the kind of work I was doing.
So at the start of 2014 I put out the intention that I would be happy in 2014 and I would be doing something that HELPED people. I thought the path I would take was one of teaching wellness classes using essential oils as a platform. I met wonderful women who showed me that I was not alone in wanted to empower individuals to take charge of their wellness and lives. In early March 2014 the Universe apparently felt I wasn't taking the call and gave me a big shove. I was let go from my job of almost 3 years.
I was suddenly (but truly not unexpectedly) unemployed. I went through the paces, I looked for replacement work. I was at the top of the income bracket and the jobs just weren't there.
On a whim I decided to head over to the massage school less than .5 mile from my home. I had been to the website before. I had even considered enrolling in their night program once my youngest graduated from high school. So I met with a fiery woman in admissions who gave me the information and tools I needed to make a decision.
I discussed it with my husband, and with his support I made the decision to enroll.
I was terrified. What if after spending all this time and money it didn't work out? Every time there was doubt in my heart, there was a light along my path. A comment from an instructor ("one of the best massages I have ever received from a student or a pro"), fellow students encouraging each other to achieve our dreams, or women in the world pushing me to reach for my dreams.
On the first day of hands on we discussed the techniques and styles we would be learning. One of them was pregnancy. From that moment forward I knew I wanted to do pregnancy massage. I didn't know why, but I knew I wanted to.
I aced the pregnancy course, and I am eager to find additional material to learn more about pregnancy.
Again fear crept in and I wondered could I be successful in a pregnancy focused practice?
As fate would have it, we were preparing our business plans as part of our business course and I Googled "pregnancy massage, Rochester, New York". Several companies (spa and private practice) came up that offered pregnancy massage, but only one that was truly pregnancy focused. Her website was professional (not just a template) and well thought out. I hesitated. I wanted to reach out to her and just chat with her.
Just at that moment Tom came down to check on the progress we were making on our business plans and he asked me "Have you researched if there are any other pregnancy practices in the area?"
"Actually, yes."
"And..."
"There is one. Her website is well crafted and professional."
"You should reach out to her, she is a graduate and I think she would love to chat with you...."
So I did, and she was very open to chatting with me and mentoring me. She is a wonderful women who is successful. I thought I would need to start under someone, and she assured me that once I am licensed if I put my business out there (professionally) then I will have no trouble finding clients (she'll even send some my way).
Meeting with her boosted my confidence and I started to think more seriously about my true business plan. I started to worry about affording space, and finding a space that I could meet new clients before traveling to them in their homes. Again the universe called and a friend who is an inspiration posted about have a room for rent in her space. We met and it is perfect. So in mid-March or early April (when I get my license) I will be working out of Awakened Athlete (the former Baby Bump Academy).
Again I started to doubt my success with a pregnancy focused practice (will it be affordable, will women be willing to take care of themselves) and the universe called again. Due to the large snowstorm last week the regular meeting of Women Entrepreneurs United was rescheduled. I was fortunate to attend one meeting in the early summer before I started massage school, but due to timing wasn't going to be able to attend again until January 2015. The meeting was rescheduled for this morning, so I was able to attend.
Brenda led us through a discussion about fear. What is our biggest fear? For me my biggest fear is FAILURE. This has been a decade long dream (not the pregnancy practice, but becoming a LMT and helping people) so what if I fail? Being able to put that fear out in the open with a group of supportive women (who have faced the same fear) was helpful. I recognize that I am afraid of failing, but also that the only way I can fail is to not act, or to give up once I have started.
The theme for 2015 is intention, and Coleen shared an image of a Kite with its tail just whipping in the wind. It made me think. I am going to create a kite for 2015 and tie my intentions to the tail. This will be a functional kite so once it is complete I'll have to take it out on a windy day and let it soar. Then as the year goes on I can add intentions to the tail and each time take it out and fly it. When it is not flying high it will be on my office wall where it can be a daily inspiration and reminding to keep soaring for my dreams.
I am grateful to the Universe for always bringing the right person into my life at just the right time.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Staying on Track
I had grand plans when I went to bed last night. I was going to get up early and study. I know that if I don't study in the am I most likely won't study at all. I was also going to work on crafts for Christmas gifts, clean/organize my room (for at least 1 hour), meditate and work on making my office space more usable.
Then I just didn't feel like getting up and being productive. So instead I took a day off. I have decided to make a list of my tasks for each day in order to stay on track. Tomorrow I will study for a total of 2 hours, work on at least one Christmas gift craft, spend 1 hour cleaning and organizing my room, and then work on making my office space more user friendly (for up to one hour).
I know if I let it go I could spend the next six weeks not preparing for my Boards. Instead I plan to make sure I am staying on track by getting everything done first thing in the morning. For me this means not turning on the t.v., Facebook or even Youtube. Otherwise I am likely to find myself losing time.
I am glad I took the day off, after 6 months of intensive study and school work I needed the break. Tomorrow is another day and I will get back on track.
Then I just didn't feel like getting up and being productive. So instead I took a day off. I have decided to make a list of my tasks for each day in order to stay on track. Tomorrow I will study for a total of 2 hours, work on at least one Christmas gift craft, spend 1 hour cleaning and organizing my room, and then work on making my office space more user friendly (for up to one hour).
I know if I let it go I could spend the next six weeks not preparing for my Boards. Instead I plan to make sure I am staying on track by getting everything done first thing in the morning. For me this means not turning on the t.v., Facebook or even Youtube. Otherwise I am likely to find myself losing time.
I am glad I took the day off, after 6 months of intensive study and school work I needed the break. Tomorrow is another day and I will get back on track.
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Not Just Another Day
Today is my 37th birthday. I have never been a big fan of celebrating my own birthday, however I do love celebrating other people's birthdays. It is not an issue of aging, to me age is just another number. For me it has always been an issue of being uncomfortable in the spotlight. I have for so long focused on my flaws and my failures that I forgot to look for my own best attributes. These past six months of learning massage, I have also learned that it is important that I value myself. If I don't value myself, then no one else will either. So from now on my birthday is not just another day, it is a day for me to celebrate all I have accomplished, who I have become and where I am headed in life. I am grateful that I have found people to surround myself with who will help me to remember that I am worthy.
In this next year I am headed down a slightly uncertain path. I am studying for the New York State Massage Therapy Boards so I can receive my license to practice. I will open my own business for women in all stages of the birth cycle and I will make sure my family is in a more stable financial situation.
I am excited to be doing something that makes me smile, and I am endeavoring to remember to do the things that make me happy. I am going to attempt a number of craft projects and home improvement projects. Many of the projects have been on my mind but I haven't even attempted them because I have always worried about failure. If I never started then I didn't fail. But for my 38th year of life I am going to change the way I look at those projects. I ONLY fail if I don't try the projects.
Changing the way I think is a goal for my next year. I have always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt, not to judge and not to gossip. I am however human and I fall into bad habits, so for the next 365 my goal is not to judge and not to gossip.
I am also taking Thanksgiving to every Thursday of the year. Every Thursday I am going to list the things I am Thankful for from the previous week and that which I am Thankful for going into the next week. That which we look for, we find.
Never again will I allow my birthday to pass without at least my own celebration of where I am in life.
I did not write this post for people to leave nice comments and tell me good things about myself. I wrote this post because I know I have spoken to many people (most of whom are women) who struggle with valuing and celebrating themselves. There is always some guilt associated with self celebration and self valuation, as if that doing so takes away from another. Instead I believe there is enough, enough praise, enough good, enough celebration to go around, and much like the flame that is not diminished by lighting another candle, the more we celebrate, the more we praise, the more there will be to go around.
How are you going to celebrate and value yourself this week, this month, this year of your life?
In this next year I am headed down a slightly uncertain path. I am studying for the New York State Massage Therapy Boards so I can receive my license to practice. I will open my own business for women in all stages of the birth cycle and I will make sure my family is in a more stable financial situation.
I am excited to be doing something that makes me smile, and I am endeavoring to remember to do the things that make me happy. I am going to attempt a number of craft projects and home improvement projects. Many of the projects have been on my mind but I haven't even attempted them because I have always worried about failure. If I never started then I didn't fail. But for my 38th year of life I am going to change the way I look at those projects. I ONLY fail if I don't try the projects.
Changing the way I think is a goal for my next year. I have always tried to give people the benefit of the doubt, not to judge and not to gossip. I am however human and I fall into bad habits, so for the next 365 my goal is not to judge and not to gossip.
I am also taking Thanksgiving to every Thursday of the year. Every Thursday I am going to list the things I am Thankful for from the previous week and that which I am Thankful for going into the next week. That which we look for, we find.
Never again will I allow my birthday to pass without at least my own celebration of where I am in life.
I did not write this post for people to leave nice comments and tell me good things about myself. I wrote this post because I know I have spoken to many people (most of whom are women) who struggle with valuing and celebrating themselves. There is always some guilt associated with self celebration and self valuation, as if that doing so takes away from another. Instead I believe there is enough, enough praise, enough good, enough celebration to go around, and much like the flame that is not diminished by lighting another candle, the more we celebrate, the more we praise, the more there will be to go around.
How are you going to celebrate and value yourself this week, this month, this year of your life?
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Every Ending is just a Beginning in Disguise
Today, as I hung out with 4 of the 7 women I have spent the last six months with, I realized how true it is that every ending is just another beginning. I have spent the last six months training to be a massage therapist. At minimum this has meant 8 hours a day 5 days a week at school, not including the 7 hour Saturdays (most Saturdays) and 2x per week of clinic adding another 4 hours to my already long days. In the last six months we 8 have bonded, bonded as a family. We have spent more time together in the past 6 months that I have spent with my own family in that time. We graduated on Friday. All the hard work (58 tests), the stress, the study sessions, the encouragement, lifting each other up when one or more of us just felt like we couldn't go on, we will always have that.
When we started we were told that the people you meet in massage school will form a bond that is unique and special, we didn't understand how true that was until we made it through this program together. The journey is not over, on the contrary it is just beginning. We have 6 weeks to prepare for the New York State Boards, and then we wait for up to 6 weeks while we wait for our results and our licenses. This is a new journey for us, and I am glad we are making it as friends.
I know that we will drift, Peg and Hannah are headed to Florida, Janet eventually to North Carolina, Ryane is a wondering spirit, and Jen A is so far away already. Jennie and I will probably be the ones who stay here in the ROC, and I will take on the task of keeping us together. Once a quarter I will arrange a get together and those who can make it will, but at least once a year I will hound everyone to get together.
So while you don't know these fabulous women I do, so let me introduce you the the people they are as seen through my eyes:
Peggy: Peg is the Momma Bear and my big sister. I love her dearly. She was a shoulder to cry on, and understood my stress and could always tell when any of us just needed a mom's shoulder to cry on.
Hannah: She is the baby of the group, turning 19 in our program she shows incredible maturity and focus for someone so young. She often reminded me of my own daughter and if my girls grow up to be as brave, strong and confident as she is I will be proud. She is a shining star and I love her dearly.
Jen A: Jen A. was quiet and shy. She was reserved and I couldn't get a read on her. At first I didn't think she liked me. She is determined and worked hard to get to where she is. She came out of her shell a bit with all of us, but she will always be the quiet one in the group (it is the quiet ones you have to watch out for). She is the Zen Tinkerbell. I love her dearly.
Jennie: Not much older than Hannah she was also quite shy at first, but she warmed up fast and we learned she had quite the wild side. She also has a vulnerable side that she tries really hard not to show. She loves a good party and she kept us all upbeat and going. I love her dearly.
These were my fellow 6 monthers, those of us crazy enough to want to do a 12 month program in only 6 months. We were joined in the afternoons by Janet and Ryane, and eventually Jennifer.
Janet: She kept to herself, not sure if she should come over and join our close knit group. It took us all a while but eventually we all warmed up to each other, and she fell into our fold. Her cartoons made us laugh (and sometimes laugh so hard we cried). Little did she know how much joy those little items brought us, or how needed they were on some of our more stressful days. I love her dearly.
Ryane: Though she started out just in the afternoons with us, she eventually had to finish out the morning Myo class with us. She instantly fell in with Hannah and the rest is history. We have war stories to share. None of us will look at post-it notes the same. Some day soon we are all going on a trip to the S Exchange for our $4 shirts. I love her dearly.
Jennifer: Jennifer joined our group halfway through. She went through massage school with extraordinary circumstances. I don't believe she knows how truly strong she is, and I am in awe of her. She was my partner often for Shiatsu and it was nice to have one other person in the room who just didn't feel it, no matter how much we wanted to. I love her dearly.
We are taking a small break as we head into the Holiday Season, and I know I will be going through withdrawal, but we'll see each after Christmas as we prep for our Boards.
One Journey ends, only to find we are at the start of another. For some of us, we are standing at a cross roads with so many choices in front of us, for others we have already chosen our path. For ALL of us there is no road we cannot travel together, and together in spirit we will always be. Every time I lay hands on another each of you will be in my heart and my hands. Each of you has influenced me as a massage therapist. THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU DEARLY.
When we started we were told that the people you meet in massage school will form a bond that is unique and special, we didn't understand how true that was until we made it through this program together. The journey is not over, on the contrary it is just beginning. We have 6 weeks to prepare for the New York State Boards, and then we wait for up to 6 weeks while we wait for our results and our licenses. This is a new journey for us, and I am glad we are making it as friends.
I know that we will drift, Peg and Hannah are headed to Florida, Janet eventually to North Carolina, Ryane is a wondering spirit, and Jen A is so far away already. Jennie and I will probably be the ones who stay here in the ROC, and I will take on the task of keeping us together. Once a quarter I will arrange a get together and those who can make it will, but at least once a year I will hound everyone to get together.
So while you don't know these fabulous women I do, so let me introduce you the the people they are as seen through my eyes:
Peggy: Peg is the Momma Bear and my big sister. I love her dearly. She was a shoulder to cry on, and understood my stress and could always tell when any of us just needed a mom's shoulder to cry on.
Hannah: She is the baby of the group, turning 19 in our program she shows incredible maturity and focus for someone so young. She often reminded me of my own daughter and if my girls grow up to be as brave, strong and confident as she is I will be proud. She is a shining star and I love her dearly.
Jen A: Jen A. was quiet and shy. She was reserved and I couldn't get a read on her. At first I didn't think she liked me. She is determined and worked hard to get to where she is. She came out of her shell a bit with all of us, but she will always be the quiet one in the group (it is the quiet ones you have to watch out for). She is the Zen Tinkerbell. I love her dearly.
Jennie: Not much older than Hannah she was also quite shy at first, but she warmed up fast and we learned she had quite the wild side. She also has a vulnerable side that she tries really hard not to show. She loves a good party and she kept us all upbeat and going. I love her dearly.
These were my fellow 6 monthers, those of us crazy enough to want to do a 12 month program in only 6 months. We were joined in the afternoons by Janet and Ryane, and eventually Jennifer.
Janet: She kept to herself, not sure if she should come over and join our close knit group. It took us all a while but eventually we all warmed up to each other, and she fell into our fold. Her cartoons made us laugh (and sometimes laugh so hard we cried). Little did she know how much joy those little items brought us, or how needed they were on some of our more stressful days. I love her dearly.
Ryane: Though she started out just in the afternoons with us, she eventually had to finish out the morning Myo class with us. She instantly fell in with Hannah and the rest is history. We have war stories to share. None of us will look at post-it notes the same. Some day soon we are all going on a trip to the S Exchange for our $4 shirts. I love her dearly.
Jennifer: Jennifer joined our group halfway through. She went through massage school with extraordinary circumstances. I don't believe she knows how truly strong she is, and I am in awe of her. She was my partner often for Shiatsu and it was nice to have one other person in the room who just didn't feel it, no matter how much we wanted to. I love her dearly.
We are taking a small break as we head into the Holiday Season, and I know I will be going through withdrawal, but we'll see each after Christmas as we prep for our Boards.
One Journey ends, only to find we are at the start of another. For some of us, we are standing at a cross roads with so many choices in front of us, for others we have already chosen our path. For ALL of us there is no road we cannot travel together, and together in spirit we will always be. Every time I lay hands on another each of you will be in my heart and my hands. Each of you has influenced me as a massage therapist. THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU DEARLY.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Accountability
I need some accountability in my life right now. Since July my life has been a whirlwind of long days, some 12 hours long and 6 days a week. I want more. I recently finished reading Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project. It took me more than 8 months to finish reading it. I would read some and put it down, then weeks, months later pick it up and read some more. Recently an acquaintance suggested it as a book club read. I think I am going to join the book club. When I first purchased the book, I thought I would read the book and do my own version of a happiness project. Right now, I don't think that is what I need in my life. I need some accountability. I have a ton of projects to finish and lots of de-cluttering to do. If I did as Gretchen did and started my year long happiness project with a de-cluttering phase, I would feel overwhelmed. I understand the importance of having a deadline, I work really well with deadlines. Not really, I just leave everything until a day or two before the deadline and then stay up late and get really grumpy trying to make the deadline. Instead I would like to suggest that for me the happiness project is going to be a lifetime undertaking.
I have lived much of my life with happy moments, but not truly happy. I want to live a life that is full of happy. I know there will be sadness (without sadness there can be no true appreciation of happiness), but I want to strive for a generally happy outlook and life. To this end I believe I need to complete the projects I have hanging over my head and to completely remove the clutter. I am going to spend some time evaluating the objects in my life and asking myself if they truly serve a purpose, if they add to my happiness or if they are just another something in my life.
To keep myself on track I plan to use this blog as an accountability tool. I will list 1 outstanding project each week, post a photo of one room/area of clutter, and state one goal for the week. At the end of the week I will give an update on the project stating the progress I have or have not made, post a new photo of the room/area of clutter and give feedback on how I am doing toward reaching my current goal. When the project is done, the area/room is organized and the goal is achieved I will simply move on to the next.
I am open to the idea of turning some projects over to professionals, but at this moment in time, while I am unemployed those projects will simply be quoted for a price and set aside until I can afford to have someone else finish them for me.
My first project is my quilt. The quilt was started by my Oma (who passed away) and finished by my mother. The edge of the quilt has come apart and I would like to hand sew it back together. That is my first project. I will let you know what progress I have made come next week.
My first area/room is my downstairs powder room. This room has been torn apart for the better half of a decade. It was a poorly designed and barely functioning bathroom. We decided to move the door (done) and to redo the entire bathroom. We have the materials (most of them) to redo the bathroom. Currently it is acting as a store room for my clutter. So I have decided that I will start clearing it out. Eventually I would like it to be a bathroom again. I will probably need to hire out some of the work (laying the tile floor and the plumbing) since I do not possess the skills or tools for those two projects, but none of that can be done until I have cleared it out and gotten it ready for work.
Everything in that room will be evaluated for its usefulness to myself. Anything that I don't need/want will be sold, tossed or donated. I hope that by selling some of the junk I have collected in the past 15 or so years I can pull together the funds to complete some projects (or to pay others to complete the projects).
I am currently unemployed and have been since March. I am in school for massage therapy and that full time program leaves me no time to work a $10/hr part time job. My unemployment benefits ran out at the end of September and there are no funds left in savings. Some of the money I bring in from selling off items I am not using will go toward groceries and other bills, anything above that will go toward finishing one project at a time.
Part of the reason I choose the quilt as my first project is because it only requires the basic sewing skills I possess. We have plenty of thread, so there is no cost in completing it. There are plenty of projects that will require some money to complete.
The reason I am choosing to start in the downstairs bathroom, is because I believe it is small enough to make me feel like I am making progress and might bring in a small amount of money.
My goal is to be less critical, less critical of myself, my family and of people in general. Like most I find myself judging and gossiping. I am going to work at reminding myself that I gain nothing from judging others or from gossiping, but that happiness is found in enjoying the life and things I do have.
This is the room I am starting on:
I have lived much of my life with happy moments, but not truly happy. I want to live a life that is full of happy. I know there will be sadness (without sadness there can be no true appreciation of happiness), but I want to strive for a generally happy outlook and life. To this end I believe I need to complete the projects I have hanging over my head and to completely remove the clutter. I am going to spend some time evaluating the objects in my life and asking myself if they truly serve a purpose, if they add to my happiness or if they are just another something in my life.
To keep myself on track I plan to use this blog as an accountability tool. I will list 1 outstanding project each week, post a photo of one room/area of clutter, and state one goal for the week. At the end of the week I will give an update on the project stating the progress I have or have not made, post a new photo of the room/area of clutter and give feedback on how I am doing toward reaching my current goal. When the project is done, the area/room is organized and the goal is achieved I will simply move on to the next.
I am open to the idea of turning some projects over to professionals, but at this moment in time, while I am unemployed those projects will simply be quoted for a price and set aside until I can afford to have someone else finish them for me.
My first project is my quilt. The quilt was started by my Oma (who passed away) and finished by my mother. The edge of the quilt has come apart and I would like to hand sew it back together. That is my first project. I will let you know what progress I have made come next week.
My first area/room is my downstairs powder room. This room has been torn apart for the better half of a decade. It was a poorly designed and barely functioning bathroom. We decided to move the door (done) and to redo the entire bathroom. We have the materials (most of them) to redo the bathroom. Currently it is acting as a store room for my clutter. So I have decided that I will start clearing it out. Eventually I would like it to be a bathroom again. I will probably need to hire out some of the work (laying the tile floor and the plumbing) since I do not possess the skills or tools for those two projects, but none of that can be done until I have cleared it out and gotten it ready for work.
Everything in that room will be evaluated for its usefulness to myself. Anything that I don't need/want will be sold, tossed or donated. I hope that by selling some of the junk I have collected in the past 15 or so years I can pull together the funds to complete some projects (or to pay others to complete the projects).
I am currently unemployed and have been since March. I am in school for massage therapy and that full time program leaves me no time to work a $10/hr part time job. My unemployment benefits ran out at the end of September and there are no funds left in savings. Some of the money I bring in from selling off items I am not using will go toward groceries and other bills, anything above that will go toward finishing one project at a time.
Part of the reason I choose the quilt as my first project is because it only requires the basic sewing skills I possess. We have plenty of thread, so there is no cost in completing it. There are plenty of projects that will require some money to complete.
The reason I am choosing to start in the downstairs bathroom, is because I believe it is small enough to make me feel like I am making progress and might bring in a small amount of money.
My goal is to be less critical, less critical of myself, my family and of people in general. Like most I find myself judging and gossiping. I am going to work at reminding myself that I gain nothing from judging others or from gossiping, but that happiness is found in enjoying the life and things I do have.
This is the room I am starting on:
This is the blanket I am working on:
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