Peaceful Simple Loves- 29.05.20

I have decided to dedicate every Friday (in the foreseeable future) to something that is adding a lot of value or joy to my life.  It will be a podcast, Instagram account, or blog post that I think you may enjoy.

Let's kick off this week with a podcast that I have been loving (especially during these times).  Brene Brown (the shame researcher, author, TED talk giver and all around amazing person) has created her own podcast called "Unlocking Us".  I have been a huge fan of Brene's work for years and this podcast doesn't disappoint.  She even tackles the topic of coronavirus and why this time has been so strange and difficult for most of us to wrap our heads around.  

I hope you give her podcast a listen and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!  Have a great weekend!

My Daily Self-Care Checklist

As the mom of 2 young children, I have become pretty good at taking care of everyone else, but I am not always great at doing it for myself.  I can go almost a whole day before I realize that I haven't drank any water.  There are things that I just let slide that affect my overall physical and mental health.

Recently, I created a daily self-care checklist.  I am a list person.  I love lists and I love checking items off of my list.  I am generally realistic about what I can achieve in a day and I find that lists are a great tool for me to use.  I have a Samsung phone and the list app offers a checklist option.  (My guess is that most phones have this capability.)  I created a list of items that I need to do in order to practice good self-care every day.  The items are simple, but the list has been a game changer for me in terms of getting my list completed.

I have been pretty good about rolling out of bed in the morning to check a few items off my list.  I like to write in my journal,  write down 3 things I am thankful for, drink some coffee and do a 5 minute meditation before my kids are up for the day.  I am able to be a happier mom when I have started my day with some self-care.  The other items are just as important and I fit them in throughout the day.

I go over my list before I go to bed and this helps me to make sure I haven't forgotten anything.  I have felt my anxiety easing and I feel much more centered now that I have made my self-care a focus.

How do you practice self-care?  Do you have a routine that you stick to?

Wardrobe Wednesday- 20.05.2020

We spent our weekend in the yard creating a new garden and planting our other gardens.  I am so happy it is done.  I love this time of year.  I love the birds chirping and the leaves budding out.  I am starting to consider the clothes that I want to include in my summer capsule wardrobe which I will start using in June.  

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Wardrobe Wednesday- 13.05.2020

This week was cooler again, as is to be expected in a Canadian spring.  My in-laws ended up with snow over the weekend and I am so thankful that we didn't.  I had a lovely Mother's Day.  I got to sleep in and I was given breakfast in bed.  My oldest daughter was pretty excited to help orchestrate the whole thing.  It was very sweet.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Spring Capsule Wardrobe- 06.05.2020

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous.  We have been working in the yard a lot.  I haven't really gotten dressed on the weekends because I basically wear work clothes that are in poor repair.  Getting dressed has continued to have a positive impact on my mood and productivity.  I am enjoying my Spring capsule.  The few hot days have me mentally planning my summer wardrobe.  Always looking forward!  Ha ha!

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Goals Update

I have just started to track my goals again.  March and April were a bit of a wash as we started to deal with the pandemic.  My goals aren't difficult, but as I was dealing with the anxiety that came with the pandemic and with our life changes (Hubby changed jobs, my daughter does online learning from home and navigating relationships with social distancing), my goals fell by the wayside.  This is normal.  We are human beings and sometimes things need to take the backseat while we navigate big life changes.

My goals were simple.  I wanted to work towards three different goals.  I wanted to exercise, write and work on home projects.  My goal was to spend 20 minutes on each goal, 3 times a week.  I know that I was basically achieving this goal when it came to exercise.  My daughters and I were walking every day so that we could get out of the house.  I was also working on quite a few house projects to pass the time.  I didn't track these goals, however so I don't know my exact numbers.  I know that I really didn't do much writing.

I have decided to tweak my exercise goal.  Instead of aiming for 20 minutes of movement, I am now working to do 20 minutes of strength training.  I hope that this change will encourage me to continue my physio exercises, which I am quick to forget about.

I also want to spend a lot more time writing, both for the blog and creatively.  I love to write and I want to keep working on those skills.

There will be no shortage of home projects in the future.  We are adding a large garden plot to our yard and have a lot of digging and planting to do.  We are also working on our basement and have already made some big changes.  It is great to have projects to focus on during this time.  It helps calm me down.

I hope you are all doing well.  If your goals are taking a backseat right now, don't fret.  Life is strange and requiring us to adapt quickly.  Staying alive and adapting is enough.  Seriously.  Take care, friends!