What is it about the going-back-to-school time of year that stresses me out. (I know - what doesn't stress me out...You wouldn't believe how many people say that to me, by the way. Ha! As if I didn't already know that I am a stress freak.) But seriously, does anyone else experience this phenomena? I understand that it means going back to a very set schedule with the juggling of homework, dance classes, sports, etc., as well as the added morning stress of catching the bus (always an adventure!). But my issue has more to do with the pressure I put on myself to get my house in order before the start of the school year.
Today is the day before my kids return to school and ideally it would have been a relaxing day with the kids - doing something fun for them before they return to the rigid school routine for another year. But did I do this? Of course not. I spent the first half of my day stressing myself (and them) out so completely that one would think today was the last day to get all my things in order. Ever. I am once again returning to the topic of the cluttered chaos that is my house. I was determined that my house would be in perfect shape prior to the commencement of the school year. Did I succeed? No, I failed. Miserably. Did I set myself up for failure. Of course. (Hey - kudos to me for high expectations though!) :)
As I was driving away from my house at 2pm, in a determined effort to give my kids some enjoyment this last day (we went to a local waterfall and got ice cream...yay me! Some redemption!), I was thinking that I have no one to blame but myself. And I think the problem comes from being a procrastinator. I have realized that I need deadlines to motivate me to get things done. A recurrent theme of mine is that I have way too much clutter in my house. It drives me - and my husband - crazy. In fact there are books written on how clutter is bad for your state of mind; you simply can't relax in an area that has clutter everywhere. (In fact, isn't that what the entire idea is behind Feng Shui?! And look at how popular that is!)
So apparently, I needed the start of the school year to give me the jump start on cleaning up some of this clutter. The unfortunate aspect of this is that I only reacted the DAY before school starts. Too bad I couldn't have felt motivated the MONTH before school starts. (I need to work on my procrastination skills motivating me earlier before a deadline!!)
Alas, baby steps are better than no steps at all. Keep the Faith!
In High Hopes of Feng Shui,
Me
Motivational Moment:
Man stands in his own shadow and wonders why it's dark. ~Zen Proverb
Hmmmm...gotta love these Zen moments. They are so deep. So this is saying that I get in my own way of decluttering my house. Ya think? OR perhaps, I could look at it another way:
To thine own self be true. ~Shakespeare
Life is short. Treasure time with family and friends!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Domestic Goddess Envy
What is it about never having enough hours in the day?! What is the deal? It is not freaking Rocket Science for crying out loud! It is "time" and we all have the same amount of time in a day.
So I have decided that it must be me. I mean, there are some people who seem to have it SO together! These are the people who, should you happen to stop over their house unannounced, you would find it clutter-free and "ready for entertainment". These people are also the ones who are able to sit out on their porch or deck in the evening, just relaxing and hanging out. I have tried telling myself that I need to make an "appointment" so I can sit out and enjoy the beautiful weather every evening (since winter here lasts like 6 months and there is no relaxing happening sitting out in the freezing cold. Brrrr!). And yet I never seem to find the "TIME". UGH!
Perhaps it could have something to do with the fact that I am not a Domestic Goddess. As much as I would love to be! I want the perfect-ordered house, with the perfect meals, and with time to enjoy the evening with my family and friends. Maybe I lack the gene. I mean, if you stopped by my house unannounced, you would see "clutter" EVERYWHERE!! We are not talking like one counter or table or even one room for Pete's Sake! (Who IS Pete by the way? And why do we always talk about his sake? Sorry...I digress.)
It just seems like I ALWAYS have dishes to do or laundry. Ha! Laundry - now there's a topic. I mean we ALL wear clothes. Everyone has to do laundry. Maybe it is in my DNA that I 'should have' been born rich. Maybe that's the problem. Because one would think that it truly is a fact of life and one would be accepting of the reality and just do it. All the time. Nope - not me...I am like "How could there possibly be more laundry to do?! It is ALL I ever do". Well - apparently it is not ALL I ever do, or I wouldn't have baskets of it waiting for me now. That and the fact that I live in a household with five people. Hellooo - reality is knocking...time to go do some laundry...
In Hopes of Finding Time,
Me
Motivational Moment:
So I found it ironic that, as I was on my way to sit at my computer and type this entry, I came across two quotes that directly related to this topic (which also tells me that I am not alone in my lack of Domestic Goddess stature!). How cool is that. I did not have to search for them, they literally fell into my lap this morning. I love serendipitous moments like that!!
1. "I wish I could stand on a busy corner, hat in hand, and beg people to throw me all their wasted hours." ~Bernard Berenson
This quote was delivered to my email from a daily affirmation from Dr. Terry Gordon's website. As stated in my first blog, I love all things motivational - including daily affirmations. I recently heard about Dr. Terry Gordon and decided to check out his website. He is a cardiologist who experienced a family tragedy; he has a very inspirational life story.
2. "Unplug. We often rate our days by what we've accomplished, applauding ourselves for a workout logged, an errand completed, a task crossed off. But consider grading today on a new curve: Give yourself credit not for doing but simply for being - for taking time to sit alone, listening, daydreaming, creating space to think. Only then can you connect with the most important person in your world: yourself." SELF Magazine, August 2012
See there! I can't do laundry now! I must go sit in the back yard and relax and daydream!
*Sigh* If only I had the time...
So I have decided that it must be me. I mean, there are some people who seem to have it SO together! These are the people who, should you happen to stop over their house unannounced, you would find it clutter-free and "ready for entertainment". These people are also the ones who are able to sit out on their porch or deck in the evening, just relaxing and hanging out. I have tried telling myself that I need to make an "appointment" so I can sit out and enjoy the beautiful weather every evening (since winter here lasts like 6 months and there is no relaxing happening sitting out in the freezing cold. Brrrr!). And yet I never seem to find the "TIME". UGH!
Perhaps it could have something to do with the fact that I am not a Domestic Goddess. As much as I would love to be! I want the perfect-ordered house, with the perfect meals, and with time to enjoy the evening with my family and friends. Maybe I lack the gene. I mean, if you stopped by my house unannounced, you would see "clutter" EVERYWHERE!! We are not talking like one counter or table or even one room for Pete's Sake! (Who IS Pete by the way? And why do we always talk about his sake? Sorry...I digress.)
It just seems like I ALWAYS have dishes to do or laundry. Ha! Laundry - now there's a topic. I mean we ALL wear clothes. Everyone has to do laundry. Maybe it is in my DNA that I 'should have' been born rich. Maybe that's the problem. Because one would think that it truly is a fact of life and one would be accepting of the reality and just do it. All the time. Nope - not me...I am like "How could there possibly be more laundry to do?! It is ALL I ever do". Well - apparently it is not ALL I ever do, or I wouldn't have baskets of it waiting for me now. That and the fact that I live in a household with five people. Hellooo - reality is knocking...time to go do some laundry...
In Hopes of Finding Time,
Me
Motivational Moment:
So I found it ironic that, as I was on my way to sit at my computer and type this entry, I came across two quotes that directly related to this topic (which also tells me that I am not alone in my lack of Domestic Goddess stature!). How cool is that. I did not have to search for them, they literally fell into my lap this morning. I love serendipitous moments like that!!
1. "I wish I could stand on a busy corner, hat in hand, and beg people to throw me all their wasted hours." ~Bernard Berenson
This quote was delivered to my email from a daily affirmation from Dr. Terry Gordon's website. As stated in my first blog, I love all things motivational - including daily affirmations. I recently heard about Dr. Terry Gordon and decided to check out his website. He is a cardiologist who experienced a family tragedy; he has a very inspirational life story.
2. "Unplug. We often rate our days by what we've accomplished, applauding ourselves for a workout logged, an errand completed, a task crossed off. But consider grading today on a new curve: Give yourself credit not for doing but simply for being - for taking time to sit alone, listening, daydreaming, creating space to think. Only then can you connect with the most important person in your world: yourself." SELF Magazine, August 2012
See there! I can't do laundry now! I must go sit in the back yard and relax and daydream!
*Sigh* If only I had the time...
Saturday, August 18, 2012
My First Blog Entry! Yay!
Welcome to my very first blog post! WooHoo! I am sure you are as excited as I!
As this is my maiden blog (HA! Like maiden voyage! Get it? Although hopefully this will not have the same ill-fate as that other well-know maiden voyage..Yikes - not a good reference...).
As you can probably tell, my blog writing will most likely be somewhat of a stream of consciousness...almost like a talking dialogue.
To describe myself, you can actually think the exact opposite of a Serenity Goddess. More like an Anxious Freak. In fact - that was my initial thought for my blog title...Anxious Freak. I tend to be quite an accomplished worrier, such that I was thinking of writing a book titled: "A million ways to die...at least in my head" or "A million ways to die...or just another day in my life" . Such is the life of a worrier/ panic attacker. Life is never dull!
Here a some of the names I was thinking of for my blog (most of which were already taken):
1. Anxious Freak (so me!)
2. Stress Maven, Stress Goddess (Thank you Pammy for some of these ideas!)
3. Mellow Mama (Thank you Trace for your support of my goal!)
4. Seeking Serenity, Serenity Diva, Serenity Now, Breathe Serenity (all taken)
5. Just Chill, Just Relax Already, Just Breathe, Don't Worry Be Happy (all taken)
6. F$#@ You, I'm dying (This would be Nick's suggestion. I love that off-beat humor of his.)
7. Storm and Sunshine, Anxious Serenity (to show where I am and where I crave to be...)
But then I tried to see the bigger picture, and think about what I would like this blog to become down the road. (My sister - Ker Ber - would be so proud because she is all about the 5 year plan and such!) Hence, I would like this blog to eventually be a source of all things motivation (such as books or quotes or music or beautiful pictures). Any or all things relaxing to us stressed out souls (but then again - it might just be musings of life from a stress freak!).
A little more about myself for this maiden blog: I am a wife and mother of three. My husband and I both work full time. Household chores and clutter seem endless (I foresee so many blog topics there...). I crave all things relaxing...such as relaxation massages (Debbie - you ROCK!!), sitting on a secluded beach (under an umbrella of course), sitting in front of a fire, curling up with a good romance novel, NAPPING (Mmmmm...I LOVE napping!), etc.
My thoughts for this blog are to write about my life experiences as well as philosophical musings, with the main purpose being to make you laugh with my sarcastic and self-deprecating viewpoint (or at the very least make you feel better about your life since you don't live in my brain) as well as to offer some motivational / inspirational / relaxational (ok - this last one is not really a word but it sure fit well) references.
For example, I love motivational quotes. I will read or hear something, and I will be like "Oooo - that is deep! I need to really do that or live that way." It's like every inspirational quote I come across is supposed to change my life because I read it (IF ONLY it were that easy!!)...hmmmm - this could be a blog entry all on its own...
Alright - that is enough for my Maiden Blog. I wish you all a good day.
In Hopes of Serenity,
Me.
Acknowledgements (ooooh - it's like I am an accomplished book writer...I have always thought about what I would say...):
To Pammy! My inspiration and 'push' to do this blog (she came up with the title) and, even more importantly, she was my example and my supporter to leave a job I had been in for a long time but was not a good fit and was horribly stressful. I love you girl! Thanks for being you! (Pammy is a maniacal - uh I mean AVID - bicyclist. Check out her blogspot - Cyclophiliac!!)
To my momma! She is an amazing woman who seems to have endless energy to help out others all the time. Without her, I am not sure how I would have gotten thru my first ten years of motherhood, let alone my entire life.
To my sister Kat! You are such a cool Kat. Thanks so much for always being such a great listener. (Kat is to shopping like Pam is to bicycling! In fact, she loves shopping so much she got a part-time job at one of her favorite stores - Bath and Body Works. Love their foam hand soap!! And my kids and I get to benefit often from her shopping prowess! Yay us!)
To my sister Ker Ber! Ker and I are kindred souls when it comes to seeking peace and happiness in this life. Ker is an amazingly strong woman who has conquered a full marathon, is an attorney, and is a strong believer that we all have good souls within us, we just may have to work to bring out the best in ourselves. Ker and I have all kinds of dreams for an inspirational tea/card shop!
To my beautiful daughters who bring so much love and laughter into my life. You are all special in your own way. My wish for you is that you enjoy your lives no matter what you do or who you are with. We only get one chance at this life of ours and it is too short to waste it in misery. Only be with those whom add happiness to your life; for it is up to you - and only you - if you allow others to dampen your spirits. Soar my girls!
Last, but certainly not least, to my husband who has to, on a daily basis, hear the constant worries that are on my mind. Thank you for being here with me on this journey. You are a wonderful dad. I love you!
I could truly go on with thanking so many more people - friends and family - who are wonderful and have helped me throughout my life..but alas, I don't want to drag this maiden voyage on forever! :)
I am not sure if I will always be able to do this - but I sure like the thought of ending my blog entries with some type of motivational reference.
Today's is a song (yes Pammy - a sappy song) and a local photographer:
1. Song: I came across a YouTube link for a mash up song of As Long As You Love Me (Backstreet Boys and Justin Bieber Medley) sung by Michael Henry and Justin Robinett. It is soothingly soul-ful and I love it.
2. Photographer: C.W. Banfield. He had a booth at a local summer art festival and I thought his photographs were absolutely beautiful. See for yourself at his website: The Wilderness Gallery.
As this is my maiden blog (HA! Like maiden voyage! Get it? Although hopefully this will not have the same ill-fate as that other well-know maiden voyage..Yikes - not a good reference...).
As you can probably tell, my blog writing will most likely be somewhat of a stream of consciousness...almost like a talking dialogue.
To describe myself, you can actually think the exact opposite of a Serenity Goddess. More like an Anxious Freak. In fact - that was my initial thought for my blog title...Anxious Freak. I tend to be quite an accomplished worrier, such that I was thinking of writing a book titled: "A million ways to die...at least in my head" or "A million ways to die...or just another day in my life" . Such is the life of a worrier/ panic attacker. Life is never dull!
Here a some of the names I was thinking of for my blog (most of which were already taken):
1. Anxious Freak (so me!)
2. Stress Maven, Stress Goddess (Thank you Pammy for some of these ideas!)
3. Mellow Mama (Thank you Trace for your support of my goal!)
4. Seeking Serenity, Serenity Diva, Serenity Now, Breathe Serenity (all taken)
5. Just Chill, Just Relax Already, Just Breathe, Don't Worry Be Happy (all taken)
6. F$#@ You, I'm dying (This would be Nick's suggestion. I love that off-beat humor of his.)
7. Storm and Sunshine, Anxious Serenity (to show where I am and where I crave to be...)
But then I tried to see the bigger picture, and think about what I would like this blog to become down the road. (My sister - Ker Ber - would be so proud because she is all about the 5 year plan and such!) Hence, I would like this blog to eventually be a source of all things motivation (such as books or quotes or music or beautiful pictures). Any or all things relaxing to us stressed out souls (but then again - it might just be musings of life from a stress freak!).
A little more about myself for this maiden blog: I am a wife and mother of three. My husband and I both work full time. Household chores and clutter seem endless (I foresee so many blog topics there...). I crave all things relaxing...such as relaxation massages (Debbie - you ROCK!!), sitting on a secluded beach (under an umbrella of course), sitting in front of a fire, curling up with a good romance novel, NAPPING (Mmmmm...I LOVE napping!), etc.
My thoughts for this blog are to write about my life experiences as well as philosophical musings, with the main purpose being to make you laugh with my sarcastic and self-deprecating viewpoint (or at the very least make you feel better about your life since you don't live in my brain) as well as to offer some motivational / inspirational / relaxational (ok - this last one is not really a word but it sure fit well) references.
For example, I love motivational quotes. I will read or hear something, and I will be like "Oooo - that is deep! I need to really do that or live that way." It's like every inspirational quote I come across is supposed to change my life because I read it (IF ONLY it were that easy!!)...hmmmm - this could be a blog entry all on its own...
Alright - that is enough for my Maiden Blog. I wish you all a good day.
In Hopes of Serenity,
Me.
Acknowledgements (ooooh - it's like I am an accomplished book writer...I have always thought about what I would say...):
To Pammy! My inspiration and 'push' to do this blog (she came up with the title) and, even more importantly, she was my example and my supporter to leave a job I had been in for a long time but was not a good fit and was horribly stressful. I love you girl! Thanks for being you! (Pammy is a maniacal - uh I mean AVID - bicyclist. Check out her blogspot - Cyclophiliac!!)
To my momma! She is an amazing woman who seems to have endless energy to help out others all the time. Without her, I am not sure how I would have gotten thru my first ten years of motherhood, let alone my entire life.
To my sister Kat! You are such a cool Kat. Thanks so much for always being such a great listener. (Kat is to shopping like Pam is to bicycling! In fact, she loves shopping so much she got a part-time job at one of her favorite stores - Bath and Body Works. Love their foam hand soap!! And my kids and I get to benefit often from her shopping prowess! Yay us!)
To my sister Ker Ber! Ker and I are kindred souls when it comes to seeking peace and happiness in this life. Ker is an amazingly strong woman who has conquered a full marathon, is an attorney, and is a strong believer that we all have good souls within us, we just may have to work to bring out the best in ourselves. Ker and I have all kinds of dreams for an inspirational tea/card shop!
To my beautiful daughters who bring so much love and laughter into my life. You are all special in your own way. My wish for you is that you enjoy your lives no matter what you do or who you are with. We only get one chance at this life of ours and it is too short to waste it in misery. Only be with those whom add happiness to your life; for it is up to you - and only you - if you allow others to dampen your spirits. Soar my girls!
Last, but certainly not least, to my husband who has to, on a daily basis, hear the constant worries that are on my mind. Thank you for being here with me on this journey. You are a wonderful dad. I love you!
I could truly go on with thanking so many more people - friends and family - who are wonderful and have helped me throughout my life..but alas, I don't want to drag this maiden voyage on forever! :)
I am not sure if I will always be able to do this - but I sure like the thought of ending my blog entries with some type of motivational reference.
Today's is a song (yes Pammy - a sappy song) and a local photographer:
1. Song: I came across a YouTube link for a mash up song of As Long As You Love Me (Backstreet Boys and Justin Bieber Medley) sung by Michael Henry and Justin Robinett. It is soothingly soul-ful and I love it.
2. Photographer: C.W. Banfield. He had a booth at a local summer art festival and I thought his photographs were absolutely beautiful. See for yourself at his website: The Wilderness Gallery.
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