Hello again! I hope this finds you well and keeping your head well and truly above water this December. If you need a reminder on being true to you this season, please check out my Christmas post. I have been receiving some heart felt compliments on my blog in the last couple of weeks and it is exciting and humbling. I am beginning to see more and more that when I share my thoughts and commit to being me that it truly does help you in ways that I originally found difficult to understand. Me being me inspires You to be more YOU. How awesome is that! I have also received comments from my readers that they have tried drawing mandalas, that they are going to make a birthday cake just for themselves, that they are inspired to notice and appreciate the simple things in their lives, that they went and bought paints for their kids, that they are taking better care of themselves so they can take care of their loved ones and that they look forward to my blog posts. Yay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The end of the year is fast approaching and 2013 will bring new joys, new challenges and new changes for all of us. So far this blog has been quite the experiment. I've been wonderingwhat I would do with it. Does it have a purpose? Could I run a business from it? If so, what would I do? Or is it merely a creative outlet for me? My goal for this blog in the new year is perhaps very much in line with my first ever blog post. I am calling it Celebrating Curiosity :-) You may have seen this new children's show on the ABC? I wish I could find a full episode online but this intro clip will have to do for now.... I love it. Little Ted goes on big adventures with his friend. He has been on a husky sled ride, a submarine, a tug boat, a tram etc. All vehicles and all lots of fun for a little teddy. My idea for my blog is to go on some big, or not so big, adventures my self next year, with my family or on my own. I celebrate my curiosity. I love trying new things and I love variety. It's kinda like a bucket list but there is no list. Or bucket. Well, not a long list anyway. I prefer to act on inspiration and try new things as I hear about them, to act in courage and give things a try. It is my hope that by reclaiming my adventurous spirit and my sense of curiosity and playfulness, while also nurturing and caring for my loved ones, I will also inspire you to embrace your own sense of adventure, however dormant it might be. Having kids has definitely added a dimension of 'serious' to my life. Raising kids is a big task but it doesn't need to be serious all the time. Having a playful, happy mum is a gift to myself and also to my family. I hope you will join me as I get a little curious and A LOT more playful in the new year. xx PS. Here's another inspiring clip. Here's to living with no regrets. Thanks Beyonce, what a rockin' life YOU are living. Thank you for inspiring me.
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My first inspired Christmas activity at home.... I wasn't sure if I was going to be inspired at all but when Master 5 suggested making a bird feeder last week I suggested making little bird seed 'Christmas trees' for the birds and he was keen! It was really nice. Here is what we did.... Step. 1. Add birdseed and cheap peanut butter to the shopping list. Step 2. Go for a walk near pine trees with a bag to collect pine cones. Step 3. Enjoy the walk. Don't rush home. Take some photos. Enjoy the sunshine. Breathe. Don't walk on active train tracks! Step 4. Head home. Clear table of breakfast dishes and paper piles. Step 5. Put on Michael Buble Christmas carols to add to festive cheer. Step 6. Pour birdseed into a container. Spread peanut butter onto pine cones. Dip into bird seed. Step7. Place in trees as a Christmas gift to the birds.
Ta dah! How are you faring with the gear up for Christmas?
December can be a very stressful time for many busy mums with a Christmas to-do list on top of all the everyday things that need to be done....paid work, cooking, housework, end of year events for the kids etc. So lets stop for a minute, shall we? Take a few deep breathes. Do you love the Silly Season? Or only parts of it? Are there some things you can let go off? Are there some traditions that leave you depleted or feel a little meaningless to you? If the Silly Season really does feel silly or even like Stressful Season, I have a suggestion for you. What if we nicknamed December something else more in line with your own values? Something that feels good to you? Simplicity Season? Spirituality Season? Service of Others Season? Social Justice Season? I Love You Season? Smooth Sailing Season? Go Slow Season? It really is worth taking a few moments to reflect on what Christmas really means to you. If you feel like there is room for some change, what do you want the Christmas season to mean for you? For me? It feels good to listen to my heart and act on what feels right for me. For sure, there might need to be compromises between loved ones but having a conversation is a great start. You might be surprised by how others react when you are honest about your own needs and motivations. They might be relieved. They might be inspired. And yep, they might disagree and that's okay. You can decide on what you can compromise on....with love. I've discerned a little more of what is important to me and where and what I will focus my energy on (and money!)...or not as the case may be :-) This Christmas, I invite you to do the same. With love xx My 'thing' for circles seems to be growing, not diminishing :-) I'm still loving drawing mandalas for relaxation and enjoyment. I picked up a spirograph for $1 at the op shop this week. I love the spider additions to Master 5's art. I even started adding circles to my drawings for the kids to colour in! If you're not into circles, you might be into letters.... Purdie Barr, a very talented local artist, has a passion for letters and photography. Check out her website Mango Ink if you're in Australia and you're looking for a unique and beautiful gift. In other news, I am being tested very regularly with the trials and tribulations of a two year old with big feelings. Lucky she's cute! By far one of the best websites I have come across for parenting help is Bonnie Harris Connective Parenting. Bonnie's website has a great search function and also links to her newspaper columns....whenever I get stuck on something tricky it is such a relief to know where I can look. I highly recommend her book When Your Kids Push Your Buttons and What You Can Do about it. If you are a Mum, you will know about these buttons...arrgggh! :-) Other books I recommend include Toddler Tactics by Pinky McKay and What Every Parent Needs to Know by Margot Sunderland. This one has lots of pictures and sub headings which makes it very easy to read for tired mums. Speaking of tired.... xx Here it is.....my official 'Celebrating Self' 34th birthday cake :-) Everything about this cake makes me smile. I love swimming. I love using toys and lollies on a cake. I love decorating cakes with these biscuits....and eating them. Everything about this cake screams amateur. It was definitely a hit with the family and it is carrot cake under that vanilla icing so I even snuck a couple of veges into little bodies. The little dollies make me smile. They are just so HAPPY! Just like me when I'm in a pool. Check out this one skinny dipping and sunbathing on her lilo! What a pleasure to be cooling off in a pool on a hot day, even if the water quality looks a little bit more like a lagoon than a chlorinated swimming pool. My birthday was great and my wish for a birthday cake was definitely granted. In addition to making one for myself, I also received TWO from friends! Number 1.... And number 2... Just a little bit spoilt.
Life is good. What are you grateful for today? Is there someone you need to thank? Is there something you need to give yourself? xx |
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