Life is in "The Moments"

Most times we don't plan for "moments", they just happen.

A few days ago my two oldest children, myself and my husband where installing some windows on a beautiful spring day.

It's been a very long time since just the 4 of us have worked together on anything, usually my youngest daughter is home so it is either all of us, or various combinations.

It was one of the nicest evenings that I've had in a long time, having us all work together. My son and daughter seem to be over the hump of moodiness and uneven development, they are starting to be on the same page in development again, almost like when they where small and used to dance together (their picture sits on my desk).

How do you get a "moment"? You usually can't plan them, but you can set yourself up to having more of them.

What does it take?

You all need to be together.
You need a common objective that suits everyone.
You need patience and a calm, happy atmosphere.

That's about it.

Sometimes parents make date nights with their kids, either alone or in various combinations.

It could be something similar. Or it could be a family project. It could be game night too.

It just needs to be something everyone is interested in so there are no "sour grapes" (nothing spoils a moment faster!)

Have a "moment" with your family. It will last a lifetime.

Absorb Your Success and Watch It Grow

We spent some time over the March break getting things in order around here. Decluttering - a seemingly never ending job - putting things away etc.

When we where finished, I found myself with a sense of peace over the following days, the mere act of walking in a room was calming and just made me feel good.

It occured to me that I needed to take notice of this feeling, absorb it and be sure to notice it, and my surroundings if I wanted to stay motivated to keep it that way.

All too often things get really nice, only to fall back after a busy spell, a time of illness or any number of road blocks.

But if we can fully ingrain the good stuff, feel it so fully that it feels off every time we waver away from it, we will find ourselves doing what it takes, taking that extra step, even when we don't feel like it, to keep things at the "new normal".

It becomes far too precious to us to loose.

ACTION TIP

What is your normal? What have you gotten used to, either good or bad?

If it's something good, you have found a way to keep it that way, how can you apply your strategy to a problem area in your life, or house?

Is your normal KAOS? Pick one area, work on it consistantly, if only for 5 minutes a day until it's a place where you feel good being. Notice it. Breath it in. Make it your new normal.

Use this strength to keep it this way, even when you don't feel like it.

Me? Even though I rather feel like vegging for awhile, I'm going to go and do my circuit for 1/2 hour because I really want to keep it this way!

Do It Anyway and Be Happy

Over the holidays I was lucky, my husband was home and not only painted my daughter's room, but enlisted the kids (he is a natural born delegator) to help get the house back in order - it was still limping from when I was sick for a few weeks and then busy with catch up and a busy business month.

So now I am more determined than ever to keep up my circuit, it is my saving grace amongst KAOS! (I will have more details on my circuit so that you can do it too... coming soon on my website, just waiting for a few more details on the graphics for my logo and we will be on our way)

I had been doing well but was having a complete block as to wanting to do one of the modules in my circuit - my hall - it is a gathering point, both at the bottom and top of our stairs.

So I decided to do a fun one first - I did 5 minute magic - choosing a corner that had been nagging me for a week. It was finished in about 3 minutes - why didn't I do it sooner? - so I continued on to the hall.

When the time was up, I set it for another 5 minutes, pushing myself to just do that.

In 5 minutes, it was pretty much finished both of hallways, so I worked another minute and got it done.

Now I am enjoying a coffee, feeling very good about my clean space and the fact that I didn't cave and go for the easy now, hard in the long run solution - which would have been to leave it and pretend that I was going to do it later - later never comes!

ACTION TIP

Push yourself to do what you know you need to do to function happily and peacefully. You will probably be amazed at how easy it ease. Reward yourself when you are finished.

If you are having a problem getting started, set your timer for 5 or 10 minutes, what ever you can manage. At the end of the time, you will likely want to finish it. If you don't, promise yourself that you will set aside another 5 or 10 minutes tomorrow, next hour or this evening, and do it again.

Keep it up until your task is finished. And feel great all the way knowing that you are heading in the right direction.

Feels good, doesn't it!

Another Gift for Today

Yesterday was my birthday. I blogged about "My Gift" on my work at home mom blog - today I have decided to give myself another gift.

I decided to give myself the time to declutter something that has been nagging me, without rushing or feeling that I should be doing something else. Just enjoying the feeling of giving myself one more peaceful space, one more beautiful thing to look at when I walk into the room.

So I'm decluttering a small table that has a small waterfall on it that my sister gave me for Christmas. The waterfall has been empty for awhile, it's been "on my list". So today I'm getting it back in order.

March for me, is traditionally "me" month as it is my birthday so I try to re-evaluate and catch up on appointments etc.

This year I truly feel like I am getting a fresh start, partly from the progress I have made in organizing and clearing out what I don't need. It is an ongoing process.

A program that I really like and am going to start again from the beginning is Carole Pagan's program called Whole Life Overhaul.

It has a little bit of everything, you recieve an email every day as well as a weekly file download of each day so that you can print it or get a preview of what is coming.

She covers a lot of life areas. I love her down to earth style and practical advice. I have purchased every product that she has and found each one to be very good.

If you would like to get your start with me, sign up today. Your worth it.

If I get enough people who would like to join, I will consider starting a blog or forum just for us.

If you have some friends who might like to join us, now would be the perfect time to pass it on.

Whole Life Overhaul.

ACTION TIP

Plan to spend part of today decluttering or beautifying something of your choice, something that will increase the pleasure in your every day life, something that will take a load off, remove a small piece of stress that you have been living with every day.

If you'd like some guidance and new ideas, a daily incentive, join Carole at Whole Life Overhaul

I'll be doing it right along with you! If you join, send me your invoice number and let me know if you'd like to be notified if I create a forum or blog for us.

House Wife Head

I had my hair trimmed last week and as luck would have it have spent the past two days going places so took the time to blow dry it and curl it, do the make up, all that fun stuff.

I realized that I looked a lot better than I usually do.

It has occured to me that much of the reason that I am looking older and more plain, is simply because I am not looking after my appearance the way I used to in my younger days. I NEVER left the house without doing my hair and make up back then. I remember myself as having character in my appearance - I wore eye catching earrings and clothes that suited my style, not just anything that fit and was fast to throw on.

Granted, I don't have the time now that I did then, but a lot of it was just habit and also the fear of someone seeing me look a mess. Now days I don't care about that so much, but the revelation is that I care what I look like. I feel so much more "me", and so much better when I look presentable.

So I wanted to share it with you, in case you are feeling frumpy. Maybe you still got the goods :0) You just need to take a bit of time in the presentation. Most imporantly, do it for your self.

The nice side effect may be more respect and acknowledgement from the people around you who have come to think you are part of the woodwork (I'm thinking kids at the moment, it can never hurt to give them a good example, but it could include husbands, inlaws, other family members and who knows who else)

ACTION TIP

Plan an extra 10 - 15 minutes per day to do your hair, a little make up if you choose, sometimes lip gloss is all it takes.

You'll look "marvelous" (think Billy Crystal and give yourself a kiss :0)

Is Your Schedule "Wishy Washy"?

I was thinking back to the days before kids - the days where generally anything I wanted to do - I merely had to wait until I was off work for the day or for the weekend, and I could do it. And I thought I was busy then!

After I started having children, it became a challenge. I remember chatting with a girlfriend and we where commenting on how after spending a whole day at home, we where lucky to get one "thing" done.

Somewhere along the line, I gave up trying to schedule things, as interuptions and change of plans was an occurance measured by minutes, not hours, days or weeks.

I started winging it.

I realized the other day that although my kids have outgrown the juice, bath, snacks and feeding schedules (except for my 9 year old daughter who just came in and interupted me for a drink of juice I have sitting on my desk :0), I still operate by the mindset that I will do a task "if" I can.

Do you do that?

Are you at the point that with a bit of planning, will power, self discipline and (I forget what it was, she just interupted me again :0) - that you CAN make a plan, no matter how small, and do it? On a regular basis?

This can mean huge accomplishments and astounding peace around the house as you create your own oasis of calm and order, by "having it your way" again.

I am off right now for a family meeting with my husband and kids because they are old enough now (9 - 14 - 16 and 40) to be doing their share - we need to chat :0)

While they take some of the load off with their own chores, I will be brainstorming and implementing a few new "non negotiables" for myself, things that I had assumed that I could only wish for these days.

ACTION TIP

Ask yourself if there is any area of your life where you have been "stuck" by old limitations.

You might be surprised.

It may take a new approach. I a bit of planning. A bit of co operation.

Try one new thing if you find that in fact, you are still back in the dark ages, operating from your limitations of a decade ago.

Just Say Yes!

Have you ever put something off so long that the energy taken to stress about not doing it was more than actually doing it?

I've been "meaning" to bath our pomeranian for a few weeks, she was getting shtinky!

But I kept putting it off, waiting for my daughter - who's dog it "really" is, to be home to help, to have a night without other stuff to do etc etc.

Yesterday, on Sunday, she said, can we wash the Deva Dog (website coming soon :0) now?

Normally, I would have on autopilot just said no, I was in the middle of "other things".

But I somehow short circuited and just said Yes.

So up we went and gave the poor dog a bath.

It probably took about 20 minutes and it was finished.

I should have done it weeks ago!

ACTION TIP

What are you putting off that has passed beyond the point of waiting for a good time, into the point of feeling like a 100 lb weight on your shoulders.

Just go and do it. Then dance a little jig because it's out of your hair. Take a deep breath and feel the freedom!