Embrace Life

ONE little WORD | November Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the 10th installment of the 2013 One Little Word Blog Hop! All of the participants are so very talented. I look forward to see how they approached the monthly assignments each hop.

OCTOBER 2013 | GET MESSY

The assignment this month was to "get messy" and find the words to express how we feel about our word right now. The idea was to reflect honestly on our personal journey.

Guess what? I do not get a big fat FAIL this month - the words are there BUT I did not get messy. My life, with three consecutive big parties, was just not condusive to a big creative mess. I did the next best thing. I was messy on Photoshop Elements - which, if you know me, is often a messy process :)

(Click to enlarge)

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Thanks so much for being here!

I'm looking forward to seeing what all the other ladies on the hop - sheduled to go live at 6AM Eastern - have to share:

Next up is: Cheri: http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Below is the full list of participants. In case you get "lost" you can always come back here and find your way again:

Lee: http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife << YOU ARE HERE

 

Cheri: http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com << YOU ARE GOING HERE

Margareta: http://www.paperpilekitten.com

Melanie: http://mellybirddesigns.wordpress.com

Mrs. Wookie: http://MrsWookiesWanderings.blogspot.com

Naomi: www.poeticaperture.com

* * * * *

How do you see your word in your life?

If you like what you see us doing, it's not too late to join in! After going through the hop, if you are interested, head on over and join the One Little Word journey with us!

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2013 One Little Word Hop FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE | JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER

Hello and welcome to the 10th installment of the 2013 One Little Word Blog Hop! All of the participants are so very talented. I look forward to see how they approached the monthly assignments each hop.

OCTOBER 2013 | GET MESSY

The assignment this month was to "get messy" and find the words to express how we feel about our word right now. The idea was to reflect honestly on our personal journey.

Guess what? I do not get a big fat FAIL this month - the words are there BUT I did not get messy. My life, with three consecutive big parties, was just not condusive to a big creative mess. I did the next best thing. I was messy on Photoshop Elements - which, if you know me, is often a messy process :)

(Click to enlarge)

* * * * *

Thanks so much for being here!

I'm looking forward to seeing what all the other ladies on the hop - sheduled to go live at 6AM Eastern - have to share:

Next up is: Cheri: http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Below is the full list of participants. In case you get "lost" you can always come back here and find your way again:

Lee: http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife << YOU ARE HERE

 

Cheri: http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com << YOU ARE GOING HERE

Margareta: http://www.paperpilekitten.com

Melanie: http://mellybirddesigns.wordpress.com

Mrs. Wookie: http://MrsWookiesWanderings.blogspot.com

Naomi: www.poeticaperture.com

* * * * *

How do you see your word in your life?

If you like what you see us doing, it's not too late to join in! After going through the hop, if you are interested, head on over and join the One Little Word journey with us!

* * * * *

2013 One Little Word Hop FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE | JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER

ONE little WORD | October Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to another installment of the 2013 One Little Word Blog Hop! All of the participants are so very talented. I look forward to see how they approached the monthly assignments each hop.

SEPTEMBER 2013 | THE INTERVIEW

Our assignment was to interview someone who knows us well about the presence of our word in our life. In my case, the word is NOURISH.

Guess what? I get a big fat FAIL.

September got away from me. There was plenty of my word in my world as I nourished a positive reaction to many things:

1. Life with my eldest away from home for the first time without anyone around to tell her to stop and think when maybe she should stop and think;

2. An older son with a lovely girlfriend and learning to navigate the subtleties of relationships;

3. Younger daughter just entered high school and realized that the "mean girls" of the last two years just might have been wrong and she can be considered pretty, smart and popular - heaven help me;

4. And, startled to realize my youngest son has just managed to "come out of his shell" in time for Grade 8 and he's sharing his wit and charm;

5. Me? I'm nourishing some new behaviours that include guided meditation and reformer pilates - in addition to making better choices.

In a life with few dull moments, there are even fewer lately!

Though the timing didn't work for the Blog Hop, I am having coffee with a girlfriend tomorrow, as it happens, and she's agreed to be interviewed :) See? I'm nourishing flexibility. Totally out of my comfort zone.

* * * * *

Thanks so much for being here!

I'm looking forward to seeing what all the other ladies on the hop - sheduled to go live at 6AM Eastern - have to share:

Next up is: Cheri: http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Below is the full list of participants. In case you get "lost" you can always come back here and find your way again:

Lee: http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife << YOU ARE HERE

Cheri: http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com << YOU ARE GOING HERE

Margareta: http://www.paperpilekitten.com

Mrs. Wookie: http://MrsWookiesWanderings.blogspot.com

Naomi: www.poeticaperture.com

* * * * *

How do you see your word in your life?

If you like what you see us doing, it's not too late to join in! After going through the hop, if you are interested, head on over and join the One Little Word journey with us!

* * * * *

2013 One Little Word Hop FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE | JULY | AUGUST | SEPTEMBER

ONE little WORD | September Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to another installment of the 2013 One Little Word Blog Hop! All of the participants are so very talented. I look forward to see how they approached the monthly assignments each hop.

AUGUST 2013 | TAKING YOUR WORD INTO THE WORLD

Our assignment was to play with our word outside.

I failed.

August was very busy and the one opportunity I was outside regularly, I completely forgot to do what I had planned which was to write NOURISH while on the beach.

I settled for the next best thing. Finding my word out in the world around me:

With my Claire leaving for University, our cupboard was cleared out of her favourite teas and packed for her to enjoy while away. I went over to our local grocery store and bought a tin of each variety. I'm enjoying them. Tea is becoming part of my daily ritual for calm. I'm enjoying the process of finding a preferred blend.

* * * * *

Thanks so much for being here!

I'm looking forward to seeing what all the other ladies on the hop - sheduled to go live at 6AM Eastern - have to share:

Next up is: Cheri: http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Below is the full list of participants. In case you get "lost" you can always come back here and find your way again:

Lee: http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife << YOU ARE HERE

Cheri: http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com << YOU ARE GOING HERE

Margareta: http://www.paperpilekitten.com

Veronica: http://www.veronicanorris.typepad.com/

Ruth: http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com

Mrs. Wookie: http://MrsWookiesWanderings.blogspot.com

Naomi: www.poeticaperture.com

Michelle: http://www.table-for-five.com/

* * * * *

How do you see your word in your life?

If you like what you see us doing, it's not too late to join in! After going through the hop, if you are interested, head on over and join the One Little Word journey with us!

* * * * *

2013 One Little Word Hop FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE | JULY | AUGUST |

ONE little WORD | July Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the sixth installment of the 2013 One Little Word Blog Hop! We've reached the midway point and I'm looking forward to the observations made by all of our participants this month,they are all so talented and enthusiastic about their OLW journey. As always, I wonder how everyone approached their assignment forJune.

JUNE 2013 | MID-YEAR REFLECTIONS

We were asked to participate in a simple one-page sheet of reflections.

IN ONE WORD YOUR EXPERIENCE SO FAR HAS BEEN:

Consistent

WHAT HAS SURPRISED YOU MOST SO FAR THIS YEAR?

That my word "open" from last year is still hanging on - and it is workng well with "nourish", my word this year.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF RELATED TO YOUR WORD?

I have fully incorporated it into my daily decisions - heart, mind and soul nourishment.

THREE THINGS YOU'VE ENJOYED ABOUT THIS WORD (WHAT'S BEEN GOOD, CHANGES MADE FOR THE BETTER, POSITIVE OBSERVATIONS):

1. It keeps me on a positive trajectory

2. It influences good health and self-care choices

3. It has me consider my life and surroundings in the abstract

THREE CHALLENGES YOU'VE FACED RELATED TO YOUR WORD (WHAT'S BEEN DIFFICULT, WHAT'S BEEN TOUGHER THAN YOU EXPECTED):

1. It is not a dynamic choice which has been an adjustment

2. I have not connected as well as in the past with "focus","do" and "open".

3. Being clear that "nourish" does not mean "nurture"

THREE THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH BY THE END OF THE YEAR:

1. Continue to make nourishment a positive daily habit, with no consciousness of the word

2. Complete my book outline

3. Build a business plan

ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO DOCUMENT AT THIS POINT IN TIME?

I'm already thinking ahead for a word to guide me in 2014. Weird. It feels too early, especially since "open" from 2012 hasn't quite left yet! I'm going with it. So far, my next word is evolving, and totally out of my comfort zone - TRUST :) There are a couple of others that are starting to resonate: shift, align, authentic, honour. You can see where I'm going with this!

* * * * *

Thanks so much for being here!

I'm looking forward to seeing what all the other ladies on the hop - sheduled to go live at 6AM Eastern - have to share:

Next up is: Michelle: http://www.table-for-five.com/

Below is the full list of participants. In case you get "lost" you can always come back here and find your way again:

Lee: http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife << YOU ARE HERE

Michelle: http://www.table-for-five.com/ << YOU ARE GOING HERE

Margareta: http://www.paperpilekitten.com

Cheri: http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Missus Wookie: http://mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.com

Amy: http://lemonandraspberry.com

Melanie: http://mellybirddesigns.wordpress.com

Naomi: www.poeticaperture.com

Lisa: http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word/

Veronica: http://www.veronicanorris.typepad.com/

* * * * *

How do you see your word in your life?

If you like what you see us doing, it's not too late to join in! After going through the hop, if you are interested, head on over and join the One Little Word journey with us!

* * * * *

2013 One Little Word Hop FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL | MAY | JUNE |

ONE little WORD | June Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the fifth installment of the 2013 One Little Word Blog Hop! There is a great group of participants this month - I'm so happy for them to share their talent and enthusiasm for our OLW journey. As always, I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone approached their assignment for May.

MAY 2013 | LITTLE (AND BIG) MESSAGES

The idea this month was to listen to the messages that are repeated in our lives and document them. As I am in the waning stages of my divorce and the amping up of my new life, the words I've been hearing are coming through loud and clear. I get messages from my children, my sisters, my friends, my life coach, the magazines I read and the sites I visit - particularly my boards on Pinterest. My word my not be on any of the cards, but within them I am nourishing a new, positive, transformative journey onward.

Thanks so much for being here!

I'm looking forward to seeing what all the other ladies on the hop - sheduled to go live at 6AM Eastern - have to share:

Next up is: Cheri: http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Below is the full list of participants. In case you get "lost" you can always come back here and find your way again:

Lee: http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife << YOU ARE HERE

Cheri: http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Naomi: http://www.poeticaperture.com

Margareta: http://www.paperpilekitten.com

Missus Wookie: http://mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.com

Lisa: http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word

Michelle: http://www.table-for-five.com/

Melanie: http://mellybirddesigns.wordpress.com/

Veronica: http://www.veronicanorris.typepad.com/

Kelly: http://www.septemberblue.net/

* * * * *

How do you see your word in your life?

If you like what you see us doing, it's not too late to join in! After going through the hop, if you are interested, head on over and join the One Little Word journey with us!

* * * * *

2013 One Little Word Hop FEBRUARY | MARCH | APRIL | MAY |

nourish | growth

A couple of months ago, I received notice in my e-mail that Deepak Chopra would be coming to Toronto for a talk. I immediately ordered four tickets and then promptly forgot about it :)

The day before I left for Arizona, I got a reminder on my phone set, oddly, well ahead of the event. Luckily though since I completely forgot to ask anyone to join me! I sent a note out to 10 girlfriends, expecting a bit of interest, but received an immediate reponse from 5! In the end, it all worked out and I headed off to Toronto with a combination of high expectations and a completely open mind.

I was not disappointed.

My friend, Helen and I headed to a Japanese joint that had "floating food". Very fun.

I will definitely be back! Yum :)

Then, on the way to Roy Thomson Hall, I was reminded of the fun and silly that used to be part of my daily wanderings. It's nice to enjoy a reminder. A guy, in a suit, playing a guitar (very well), with a bag over his head? Yep. Fun and silly.

Then the event of the night. I have to admit that a lot of it was "out there" in a place I cannot grasp, but an equal amount was right where I needed it to be. Like the Grinch who's heart grew three sizes, I believe my brain grew three sizes as a result of this evening.

All good stuff. Limiting beliefs. Meditation. Atoms. Space. Time. Unanswerable questions. Set points. Wellness. Choices. Understanding.

You can like him. You can dislike him. What I like is that, for an evening, he made me think in a way I haven't in a very long time - or ever. I was completely captivated for over two hours.

All good stuff.

nourish | good choices

Last week I found myself back in Tucson, AZ with my sister, Beth. I went to have some tests run in an effort to try to figure out the whole over-weight thing. Ugh. Frustrating! After all blood tests were run and analyzed, it turns out I am a remarkably fit heavy person. Blood pressure is low. Thyroid is fine. B12 is fine. Liver and kidney function are great. Vitamin D is in the tank. With a few tweaks things should be fine. Reluctantly, the doctor agreed that once my cortisol levels lower, my body should be more receptive to shrinking! We'll have to wait and see. Patience is not one of my virtues.

Right now I'm just waiting for the results of some allergy tests. Who knows, maybe they hold the key to what's holding me back?

While I wait, listening to the rain hit the windows, I've been going through the photos taken on the trip. Hundreds were taken, below are just a few of them to keep me warm until Spring arrives here at home:

It was a 17-hour ordeal to get to Tucson with major flooding leading to delays in Chicago. I landed in Phoenix and drove the two hours to Tucson. I started at 5AM my time and ended up at Canyon Ranch at 9PM their time. I have to say, it was totally worth it. Even when I realized - a week later, just as it was time to leave - that I left my passport on the plane! Further proof that there never is a dull moment.

Every day I walked the 2-mile loop around the property, though, unlike my sister, I did it just the once and avoided the "big hill" even though it meant more steps :)

Every day I swam at least 20 laps of the T-pool and took at least one water-fitness class.

Every day I ate oatmeal brulée, chicken sausage and kefir for breakfast.

Every day I met someone new and heard their story.

Every day I spoke to or texted with my kids. Though, I have to admit, Caden is a bit too quiet for my comfort! They had a great time with their cousins, and limited independence :)

Every day I discovered something new. I also discovered more things I can - and will - do.

Every day I did at least one thing outside my comfort zone.

Every day I enjoyed conversations with my sister. I did a lot of listening. I learned a ton!

Every day I realized how far I have come since my first visit to Canyon Ranch two years ago. Dr. Brewer barely recognized me and confessed his fear for me when I left in 2011.

Every day I realized, with gratitude, how wonderful my life has become - extra weight and all!

I really enjoy the desert. There is something incredibly beautiful in the stark heat and vast expanse of cracked brown earth and endless blue sky. This year my focus was more outward and I took everything in - from the beautiful buds of spring, to the turtles in the pond, to the people around me.

Only 350-some days until I return!

Nourish | Rediscovery

Sometimes it just isn't worth the argument. Then enough time passes and you forget the things you loved. It sounds impossible.

That's exactly what happened.

And then the years passed.

You would think it would be easy to just go back and do the things you enjoyed, but echos of criticism is paralyzing even well after the cause is gone. I'm here to say, it isn't easy. First you have to remember where you once found joy and then you have to brace yourself to find it again. It sounds so silly, but it isn't. At all.

Now that I've embraced my fears, I'm savouring and enjoying three things I had to abandon to keep the peace:

MUSIC

I was in Organic Garage in early November and heard Laura Brannigan's "Gloria" come on in the background. Every woman in the store, of a certain age (ahem), stopped. We listened and smiled. I took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. When I was younger I loved Laura Brannigan. I sang her songs, I danced around my apartment, I felt free and joyful. Oh, the years of verbal abuse I suffered, from the resident music expert, for daring to find joy music created by someone who was simply a vocalist. Standing there, in a grocery store, watching the women around me have the exact same response as I did had to be one of the most validating experiences in recent memory.

COOKING

Nothing I cooked was good enough. Ever. Why didn't I cook like his mother? I don't know. Perhaps because I wasn't his mother and even his mother didn't cook as well as his memory! As a result of constant criticism I just stopped cooking. I feigned disinterest. I did a lot of re-heating. You know, pick up pre-packaged crap from the frozen food aisle, toss a salad and voila, dinner is served. Green Giant brussels sprouts saturated in butter in a plastic boil-in-bag is not what I consider to be a vegetable - for that matter, neither is shake-n-bake or canned soup.

MOVIES

I like happy movies. Adventure movies. Documentaries and historical dramatizations. Rom-com-adventure-fun movies. Give me a movie with a great story, realistic writing and great cinematography. Often I don't care who is in it. As long as I learn something or feel something positive when it's over, I'm happy. Gross movies are ... gross. War movies are ... about war. Heavy subjects do not automatically make for a good movie. A big "star" does not always make for a good experience. I stopped going to movies, claiming fear of germs, so as not to be lectured on why I was wrong about my interpretation or opinion.

How does a person live without music, movies or food - for years? You choose your battles and these were not the battles I was willing to fight. There were others that were more important - at the time.

I have to admit, I am incredibly happy to have music, cooking and movies back. Whenever I want!

Every day, when I'm reading or writing or driving, I am listening to AltNation or some other Alternative Rock station. On my iPod I have plenty of "classic" rock (including the much maligned Laura Brannigan). My music compromise of now is to listen to more of what interests my kids. As a teen I remember music being very important to me. I hear certain songs and the memories come rushing back. It is equally important to my kids. They enjoy introducing music to me and I honour their enthusiasm by listening to - and enjoying - every single song. It's been fun to introduce them to a few tunes, too!

Though our schedule is crazy, having us going here-there-everywhere after school every day, I have managed to introduce a number of new recipes to the kids. They have developed their own tastes and I often cater to them, sometimes I offer up something new. They also have hot lunch options at school each day which have expanded their food repertoire. Yay! Most of my experimentation happens on the weekends and then I modify things to be a quick mid-week version. It's worked really well and I enjoy the challenge as well as the health benefits.

I don't know if it was a good thing that the first movie seen in a theatre in years was ARGO. I really think it may have spoiled me for every other movie! We have a theatre in walking distance from the house and I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate a mid-afternoon visit a couple of times a month. Just imagine all of the conversations I can now participate in as I'll have an opinion of my own rather than one gleened from eTalk!

This journey of rediscovery has been wonderful. I am genuinely grateful for all of it. Truly nourishing and enriching my soul. You don't really appreciate things until they're gone - and then return.

ONE little WORD | February Blog Hop

Hello and welcome to the 2013 One Little Word Blog Hop where I am thrilled to be taking the baton from Margie, our fearless leader for the last couple of years. The class has changed up a bit with Ali Edwards offering up new prompts and creative assignments, as a result, I am really happy to have signed up again. It's not too late, if after going through the hop you are interested in joining in the fun, head on over and join the One Little Word journey with us!

I am sharing my results of the classroom assignment for the month.

This was cause for a lot of thought and consideration. My word for 2013 is NOURISH and what exactly did that mean? How do I think or want it to manifest itself in my life from month-to-month through the year? And then there is the creative component. How did I want to express myself in my album this year? Paper and glue? Digital? A hybrid bit of both?

By mid-month I had it figured out and it was determined and happy to carve out some time. This was the result:

Each month I've assigned a focus. In case you can't read it (plus my pen was running out of ink!) they are below:

JANUARY | Body: it's pretty simple EAT WELL & MOVE MORE every day

FEBRUARY | Heart: the walls have been up far too long It's time to relax my guard and allow my heart to open. TRUST YOURSELF :)

MARCH | Wandering: grab the camera, get up and GO. Discover new places and take time to wander and explore.

APRIL | Habits: nothing worth doing is quick or easy. Embrace PATIENCE and follow the plan with conscious effort. Those habits will stick.

MAY | Conversations: don't back away from the hard ones and welcome the fun ones. Stay open and listen more.

JUNE | Dreams: YAY! They're back. What do they say? How do you feel? Record them :)

JULY | Spirit: there is nothing holding you back. Set your spirit free and let it SOAR!

AUGUST | Silence: what do you hear in the quiet/ When the din of life is turned off, what's left? REVEL in the stillness.

SEPTEMBER | Curiosity: showing interest is not rude. Ask & engage. Give in to natural impulses.

OCTOBER | Mind: let's find something to really capture your interest AND imagination.

NOVEMBER | Words: get them out. Use your memories, stories & dreams to create the future you want.

DECEMBER | Relationships: Nuture the good and get rid of the bad. Stay OPEN to new :)

The creative cards started with the One Little Word | 2013 art received in class. I imposed it over the picture I found that, to me, best represents my vision of nourish. That decided on the green and gray pallet which needed a bit of a tweak so I added some pink.

Those cards, up close, look like this:

(The pink with the lemon gives me particular joy as we had Caden convinced that in Cape Cod they grew pink lemons for the lemonade at Captain Frosty's.)

Agreed! And very much the reason I chose NOURISH this year. More to oppose indifference than anything else :)

I do hope something in this project, or how I'm participating in it, has piqued your interest!

Head on over to visit the other participants. A One Little Word journey of the world!

Next up is Cheri at cheriandrews.blogspot.com!

This is the full list of participants, in case you get "lost" you can always come back here and find your way again:

Lee: http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife/ <<< YOU ARE HERE

Cheri: cheriandrews.blogspot.com <<< THIS IS YOUR NEXT VISIT

Lisa: http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word/

Lynn: www.crafty-creativity.blogspot.com

Nikki: www.inkyart.com.au

Kathryn: www.katlodesigns.com

Missus Wookie: mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.com

Veronica: www.veronicanorris.typepad.com

Eydie: www.whatwecreate.net

Karen: http://womenontractors.blogspot.com

Kelly: http://www.septemberblue.net

Melanie: http://mellybirddesigns.wordpress.com

Valerie: http://naughtystamper.blogspot.com/

Marya: www.lotustreecrafts.com

Nupur: http://woodpeckertales.com

Angela: angelanoel.com

Janet: http://lifeinsideascrapbookroom.blogspot.com

Dona: http://orangegearle.blogspot.com/

Ruth: http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com/

Naomi: http://www.poeticaperture.com/

Pam: http://pammiek.blogspot.com/

Kara: http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com

Clare: http://claresthomas.blogspot.co.uk/

Margareta: http://www.paperpilekitten.com/

Tricia: http://onecreativemom.wordpress.com/

Jacqueline: http://goodwolve.blogs.com/jacqueline/

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The hop is scheduled to go "live" at 6AM Eastern. Have fun!

Oh my goodness, I almost forgot, a huge THANK YOU to Melanie for creating our fabulous blog hop button! She stepped in at the last minute when I completely forgot to make one :)

Nourish | The Get Fit Plan

So, I've been at this for a while. After a couple of years of focused effort it's been revealed that I have a B12 deficiency and that my body won't "hold" this key ingredient for weight loss/control. To be candid, it sucks. Between the thyroid disease and this B12 issue, it is very disheartening to look in the mirror and I despise going onto a scale.

Then, one morning last week, I woke up and realized it didn't matter.

Not being able to lose weight has nothing to do with it. I have get into the habit of moving more and believe (with fingers crossed) that the rest will come in time.

I've adjusted my life to incorporate some really good choices:

1. Drink more water
2. Take supplements & meds
3. Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night
4. Cut out refined sugar (I have one teaspoon of organic demerarra a day in my morning coffee)
5. Cut out all processed and fast foods
6. That means most of my meals are now made at home
7. Inconsistent swimming and walking routine, but I am swimming and walking

What I need to work on is:

1. EAT BREAKFAST
2. Eat my carbs early in the day
3. Eat more often - aka snack!
4. Have a consistent DAILY swimming and walking routine

That's four things. Really it's only two things: eat and move. I know, seriously. I am still not eating breakfast consistently if at all. I harp on my kids and insist, while I can, that they have to eat but they hate it. Thank goodness for bananas - the perfect portable in-the-truck food!

The reality is, time is getting short and my halflife to getting fit is quickly compressing. I have to do this.

I am motivated by competition and reward for a job well done. I fared very well in the corporate world! I thought I'd incorporate that mindset - though rusty - to this problem. (Knock wood) I've never not been able to do something I've set my mind to, and this will not be the issue that will defeat me.

It also has to be fun and visual. I have been home a long time!

I've made up a chart which is now stuck on my fridge. I can keep track of THREE things: eating breakfast, daily exercise of at least 45 minutes and those days I walk 10,000 feet.

Now, the motivator, the reward:

Marbles. Well, not marbles, but glass beads. We couldn't find the old fashioned marbles!

Each bead is worth $1. For every breakfast I eat, I get a bead. For every day I exercise for 45 minutes, I get a bead. For every day I walk 10,000 feet, I get FIVE beads. Why five? Because in the months I've had my FitBit, I've never walked that far. Extra motivation is required.

At the end of the year I'll count my beads and that will be my reward. It could be a movie or a trip or something in between.

The thyroid thing and the B12 thing will work themselves out. There is no point in waiting. It's time to make better choices: eat well and move more.

Start date? Yesterday! Why not January 1? Well, with the kids home it's just easier to keep my days open. Now that they are back at school my time is my own between the time I drop them off in the morning and pick them up in the evening. I have eight hours a day to fit this in.

And I did.

Nourish | A Jar of Wonderful

I am not much a fan of looking backward, but I know that it is the lessons and experiences of the past that make me who I am today. At the start of the year, I discovered a project that really appealed to me. So many of the small stories give way to the bigger events through the year, but it is in the small things that many of our life changes are made.

Going into this year, I want to nourish that part of me that is more reverent and respectful of the small wonders in my life and learn from the small lessons as well as the big booming unavoidable ones.

Step 1: Find a mason jar (and, if necessary, clean it out)

Step 2: Make up a label

Step 3: Find some string and attach the label

Step 4: Gather up some paper and cut it into pieces (mine are 3"x4")

Step 5: Find a pencil

Voila!

The perfect repository for my big and small stories through the year. Some might make it into my Project Life, some might not, but on New Years Eve 2013, I will have plenty of stories to remember and learn from as I enter 2014 all stored in my Jar of Wonderful.

:)

I'm so glad I've learned enough about Photoshop Elements that I can customize stuff! Here's the tag up close:

I think this is going to be good.

ONE little WORD | Blog Hop + Giveaway

I was never good at keeping resolutions. They were always too big or too many.

When I was introduced to the "One Word" idea by Christine Kane a few years ago it was immediately appealing. Then I discovered Ali Edwards' creative take on the concept and I was hooked! I have been an active participant since 2009. 

BALANCE

FOCUS

DO

OPEN

and this year I thought I had chosen

HARMONY

but once it was announced, it changed to

NOURISH

Over the years, each little word has had varying degrees of impact on my life, but I definitely know that they've been far more successful than any resolution I've ever chosen! I enjoy using the "one word" method to frame my goals and intentions for the year ahead. *Warning* if you ever chose "do" be prepared. Mine wore me out!

When a creative opportunity was introduced over at Big Picture Classes in Ali Edwards' ONE little WORD project I joined right away. It was PERFECT. Then with "do" and "open" I was so busy living and in some cases surviving my word that I didn't have time to record it all in the creative way I had chosen. I joined in a couple of the blog hops and did a few assignments, but my life filled with so many other things I got away from the creativity I love so much.

THIS year things will be different. Not only have I joined the blog hop, I've offered to Margie that I will take the reigns coordinating it each month as she is moving along to other things. Who knew when Cheri suggested earlier this month that I use the blog hop for accountability that I'd be so proactive :)

Be sure to visit all of the talented ladies on the hop, but when you visit Margie give her a big THANK YOU for her capable and loving management of the blog hop for the last TWO YEARS!

An added bonus of visiting Margie is that she is offering a GIVEAWAY on her blog that ends 11:59PM PST TODAY, January 1, 2013. You have a chance to win a spot in Tracey Clark's class at Big Picture Classes called THE ART OF COMPOSITION which starts on January 3rd. The winner will be contacted on January 2nd and the class code expires on January 3rd.

 

Margie    http://xnomads.typepad.com

Lisa    http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word/

Cheri    http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com 

Ruth     http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com

Nikki    www.inkyart.com.au

Veronica www.veronicanorris.typepad.com

Naomi    http://www.poeticaperture.com

Missus Wookie   http://mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.co.uk

Kara     http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com

Me!     http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com/embracelife/

 Note: the blog hop starts at 8:00AM Pacific/11:00AM Eastern

 

What is your ONE little WORD for 2013?

ONE little WORD 2013

I will be joining the journey.

As everyone knows, I am a huge fan of Ali Edwards and her approach to the world and her part in it. Just about everything she introduces online via her website or Big Picture Classes and elsewhere resonates in me and makes me think. I love people who introduce challenges and ideas that make me think.

Ultimately that is what had me sign up again.

I have failed at this project, in an album making sense, for the last couple of years. The reality is that this single project has been one of the most resonant I have ever attempted - repeatedly. Each word chosen over the years - balance, focus, do, open - has made significant impact in my life. From the process of selecting my guiding word for the year to the welcoming it into my day-to-day to surrendering enough to see how it works in my life has been a joyful revelation.

This last couple of months had me thinking I was going to use HARMONY as my word for this year. It is all around me: the kids singing, the music I enjoy through the day, the home I'm building, our family unity, education and future career choices and who knows, even e-harmony? The best word appeared to be harmony.

It may have been, for a time, and the goal of harmony will always be a part of my year, indeed my life, but I believe, in more recent experiences that the word that has chosen me is NOURISH.

So, with that in mind, I'll be preparing for success this year, this word, by organizing a place to put all of the project pieces together and actually get the album done! What about you? Are you a resolutions type of person or do you chose a word to nudge you along the way?

In my effort to create a fresh start, below is the art I've found that I think best reflects nourish and what I'm looking to find in it in 2013.