July 12in12 Challenge

Updating 12in12 challenge

 

I realized as the first half of the year came to a close that some of my 12in12 challenges just weren’t relevant for me anymore, so I have given myself permission to make substitutions. This month I have a living room that looks like a storage room and each day I find a home for something in the piles.

 

New challenges for the second half of the year:

 

JULY: declutter/organize daily

 

Practice yoga Everyday

Cycle Everyday

Run Everyday

Call someone I care about Everyday

Try something new Everyday

http://ceilidhontherun.com/2011/12/29/12in12-a-pleasant-twist-on-resolutions/

 

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at trish at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

If you enjoyed this post, please do like/share it. You can do so using the easy share button below!

 

 

 

 

12in12 update May/June

I can’t say my 12in12challenge is going very successfully anymore.

Last month was to unplug by 9. Very unrealistic goal. I made 10 most nights, but did allow myself a couple of freebies when I stayed connected later.

Here we are halfway through June and my 12in12 challenge hasn’t even been declared here! Obviously it is not to update my blog daily!

Meditation was my pick for this month, similar to mindfulness but not the same. It worked well for the first few days, now I need to reboot. Let’s see how the rest of June goes!

If you don’t know what the 12in12 challenge is all about, you can start with my blog entry here: 12in12challenge

12 in 12 Month 5 Unplug by 9

I practised mindfulness for April, somewhat unsuccessfully.  It seems I didn’t even manage to make a blog post indicating that was my challenge for the month.

This month my challenge will be to unplug by 9pm everyday.

My hubby will be very happy to hear this one.

Hopefully it will help me get my sleep cycle back on track too.

The hardest part about that will be that girlies’ bedtimes on week nights are 8pm & 8:30pm respectively. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for last minute checkins, etc. The second hardest part will be reading – I have three books on the go that are all ebooks. Not that I don’t have plenty of hard copy books to pick up after unplugging. 😉
*The only exception will be for a couple of work meetings that I have no choice but to do after 10pm because all of my counterparts live in earlier timezones than I.

When is the last time you had a weekend getaway?

For a mom, there is no shame in getting away from your family and day-to-day obligations once in a while. They just might need a break from you too. 😉 It’s been a long time since I found the opportunity to do so. Last time I tried, didn’t work out as intended.

Everyone gets a little break in the routine when Mommy goes away. The girlies get a break from mommy’s impatient demands… Ian gets a break from all of Mommy’s tossing and turning at night…

This girls’ long weekend to New York has been in the works for far too long, and was indeed much needed. Finding a friend to travel with can be tricky, but luckily we have had other opportunities for shorter road trips (to/from races overnight) before and knew we could travel well together.

We headed out taking the longer more economical route via Toronto. It gave us a chance to catch up and enjoy the hockey team lunch at the airport bar. 😉 After uneventful flights and a short train ride across the river, we found ourselves walking through Times Square on our way to our home away from home.

How lucky were we! We were spoiled rotten by our host with Broadway tickets all four nights of the visit, and fantastic “New York style barbecue” everyday at a different restaurant.

From February 14, 2012

During the day there were sites to be seen and adventures to behold!

Spiderman – Turn off the Dark was truly a spectacular show; Mamma Mia! Was so much fun;

From February 14, 2012

and Rock of Ages was funny and brought you back in time with great music.

A big Off-Broadway show that we were lucky to see is very quirky and hugely popular: Fuerza Bruta.

From February 14, 2012

Now, be assured, family at home were not forgotten, souvenir gifts and photos of things they would love to see in the Big Apple were captured for all.

Some favourite sites included: Central Park,

From February 14, 2012

Times Square,

From February 14, 2012

Grand Central, New York Public Library, Brooklyn Bridge

From February 14, 2012

and Lady Liberty.

From February 14, 2012

One of the most memorable was of course the 9/11 memorial site.

From February 14, 2012

All told Mommy enjoyed the break away, and looks forward to more time to herself in the near future! Perhaps even running under the palm trees of Palmetto, Florida!

12in12 challenge / Month 2 / Day 1

Today was Day 1, Month 2 of the 12in12 challenge. February is make and share one photo-a-day. I just finished a month of walking daily, and so today’s photo is of my wet walking boots drying by the fire.

2012: 4 weeks gone by! #12er (12in12 challenge) – Day 28

I want to provide a little update on some personal items.

From 2012-01-27

My core values for my life [Joy Equation]

For those who don’t know me outside of this little blogosphere, and for some who do, you may not realize that I have been off work, since before my mother’s passing, on sickness leave. I have a chronic pain condition called fibromyalgia. I blogged about it here before, but the general idea is that it’s a disease effecting soft tissue that causes moderate to debilitating pain, depending on many factors. Stress is a huge trigger for pain flare-ups, and things only got worse before they started to get better. It’s been a real battle for me over the past year.

I’ve been working hard at a number of things that I hope will help me get back to a healthy state of being. Most of these activities are things anyone could and likely should do to simply live a better life without regret. Mom taught me that this really is the most important thing to keep in mind in life. Will I regret this one day?

So, the main projects I have been working on towards change in my life are getting back into a regular routine of physical activity, trying to find a healthy way of grieving, bringing more joy into my life, appreciating all of the great things that I have in my life, learning new and better ways of being, and making small accomplishments towards bigger achievements. I’m trying to live each day like it’s my last.

We just never do know.

I signed up for a few challenges this year that I hoped would provide me with some motivation. So far it has worked.

The two big things I am accomplishing right now:

I am nearing the end of a successful first month of the 12in12 challenge, for which my goal in January was to walk 30 mins./day.

I have also been taking a class offered by Molly Mahar about bring more joy into your life. I am completing all of the exercises and really loving the introspection involved. I am going to confidently move forward in my life this year making big happy changes!

The biggest change will likely be one I just made official today. I am starting my own business, which will launch in March. As soon as I have a website to share, I’ll pass it along and fill everyone in! 🙂

So that’s my 4 week update. I’d love to hear yours!

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

If you enjoyed this post, please do like/share it. You can do so using the easy share button below!

What would mom say? And a small #12er update

I thought about mom so much today. And yet, I felt I had very little time to think of her at all.

I screwed up my baking and knew mom would have a good laugh with me about it. Reminding me that I usually prove to her that I did not get my baking skills from her. That it was likely just a hiccup in an otherwise wonderful talent.

There is so much happening that I wish I could talk with her about, from challenges with family, to my plans to get back into a good state of health. I’d love to share all the little details of the business I am considering, to hear her thoughts of what I could do to make it my own.

I want her to walk through the door with her exaggerated exclamations at all of the progress we’ve made in settling into our new home. She’d ask after my 12in12 challenge, and how my quest for greater joy in the big picture of life is going. She’d offer me encouragement at my set-backs and bad pain days, and she’d share with me how she feels/felt the same way sometimes. Mom would find the little celebrations, like how I’ve managed to walk everyday (yippee, today is day 25!), and she’d wonder at how fortunate it is that we bought that treadmill.

Mom would remind me, as if I might have forgotten, of what a good man I have found in Ian. How she knows he only wishes for my happiness, and that I only have to ask and he’ll do everything in his power for me. She’d point out all of the things she’s noticed about how he’s taking care of me, of us, of our family. She’d share again her happiness at our marriage and assure me that she was there with me cheering us on.

She just couldn’t hold on any longer.

She’d be saddened at how some things have unfolded since her passing. But she’d assure me that one can only do so much, and that I have to take care of myself, so that I can take care of those precious not-so-little-anymore girlies. She’d remind me that she’s here in all the wonder of life around us. She’s watching over and keeping an eye on dad out there all by himself.

Mom would ask after the books I am reading, and whether I’m still enjoying the book club. She’d ask after my friends. She’d tell me how much she’s enjoyed my photo projects and the annual family photo calendar I created and gave them again. Mom would have so much to say and ask of me, while as always sharing very little about herself.

The one thing she’d tell me of herself is how much she’s aware of my heartache and that she wishes she could take it away for me. She’d tell me that she remembers how hard it was when she too lost her mom far too young. When she’d had to comfort her children who’d lost their Nanny too soon, and look out for her dad on behalf of everyone, including her mom. She’d want me to be comforted in knowing that she eventually grew to accept her loss, and that I too would come to live on in her absence – finding joy in all of the little things and even more in all of the big things.

Mom would remind me that she’ll be here with me/us in every new dawn.

And for that, I thank you, mom.

12in12, Day 9 – Photowalk

Another Momstaxi service day and therefore a day in which I need to multi-task, so I head out with girlies, camera bag, laptop bag and purse. Once they are safely delivered to the dance studio I head out for a walk, promptly, forgetting my camera bag in the car. So the photo walk will have to be carried out via tablet cam. Worked out well enough I think.

From 2012tabpix
From 2012tabpix
From 2012tabpix
From 2012tabpix
From 2012tabpix
From 2012tabpix

From 09/01/2012

After the walk I treated myself to a latte and pumpkin bread, relaxing with my book at the Second Cup. Turned out to be a pretty good evening.

Do you find it necessary to fit your personal commitments in around your family too? What is your best trick for sticking to the plan?

————–

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, Facebook fanpage, etc.)

If you enjoyed this post, please do share it. You can do so using the easy share button below!

12in12, Day 8. OR It hurts so … good?

This weekend was a real mixed bag, so to speak. Much like with the Nova Scotia weather and its frequent changes there were just so many different emotions flying around that I think my system has gone into overdrive or perhaps is actually beginning to force some sort of a shut down.

It went from a very positive explorative interview regarding a business opportunity, to highly emotionally charged confrontation, to worrying about loved ones, to successfully meeting challenge without prodding, to a sense of foreboding, to helplessness and loss, to feelings of unconditional love and support, to relaxation, to productivity, to progress, to physical pain and exhaustion, to … on and on, it seemed.

The highlights, the positive events that I wish to focus and report on, begin here.

Today begins week 2 of the 12in12 challenge. I have successfully met the daily challenge so far. On days 5 and 6 I had to get a little creative and fit my walks in around momstaxi services.

Day 7 I got a much needed break, after arriving at dad’s emotionally spent, and took his dog for a walk in the dark. We grabbed a flashlight and headed down to the wharf first where the water was calling me as it softly washed onto the beach. I was reluctant to move on after seeing that the Christmas tree always erected by Santa’s helpers at the end of the wharf had gone up again this year (after a couple of winters that mom and dad had spent away at Christmastime). I could feel mom’s presence right there with me telling me how fortunate they were to have such loving neighbors who remembered and continued the tradition again, for dad. And so a few tears flowed as I walked back up the path and continued along the road past my parents’ home until I could hear the ocean calmly lapping on the shore again as I was once again following the water’s edge. The fog wrapped a blanket around me, secure and cocooning as I needed, and I felt the serenity of the place my parents have made home for the last decade.

After returning to the house we had a nice spaghetti dinner with dad and my girlies, relaxed by the fire, tucked the girlies into bed, had a long chat, and then I had a soak in the hot tub. There is nothing like a tranquil soak on the deck overlooking the silent cove. The fog was so heavy I couldn’t see much of the water, but I knew it was there, absorbing all of my troubles for those moments.

I pictured mom sitting with me as she would have done chatting away filling every silent void with thoughts and expressions of her love of life and all it once offered her. Dad and I both retired to bed after watching the last end of a semi-final curling game. And I slept like I haven’t slept in many, many weeks.

Today, Day 8, youngest girly asked if we could go for a walk. I suggested she invite Grampy, and that maybe we all could go. After lunch we did just that. We carried out some long-held traditions the girlies had with their Nanny and Grampy. It gave them peace to know these things did not have to stop happening even though Nanny was no longer with us to share them. In fact, she was very much with us as her granddaughters chose treasures from their beachcombing that remind them of Nanny and will be used in creations to aid in that for much time to come.

After returning home I felt agitated and couldn’t shake the hurting. As a distraction while the girls were still up and I needed to hold it together, I worked on some new challenges to assist with my 12in12 reading commitment for later in the year. I took the #50bookpledge and signed up for the To Be Read 2012 Challenge.

Once the girlies were tucked into bed, the sadness just rolled over me and I let myself just be – however I needed to be – for a few minutes. I sought out a little comforting and then sat down to write this post.

Tomorrow is another day. Day 9 of the first month of #12in12, just 21 more to go!

————–

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, Facebook fanpage, etc.)

If you enjoyed this post, please do share it. You can do so using the easy share button below!

12 in 12, Month 1 Day 4, OR “2×15 = 30”

Sometimes you just do what it takes to make things happen. If your commitments are important enough to you, you realize that it is all about choices, taking control of you life in whatever small way necessary and making it work.

Yesterday I had two medical appointments and obligations to fill as Moms Taxi, in addition to new furniture arriving and belongings needing to be re-organized back up off of the floor. So the likelihood of my fitting in a 30 minute walk were slim. However, 15 + 15 = 30, so how about two short walks? I set the rules here, and this is what works for me. So I park 15+ minutes walk from one appointment and walk to and from the car to the office. Walking… done!

What do you do to fit in those important, but all to often pushed to the back-burner activities?

—–

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, Facebook fanpage, etc.)

If you enjoyed this post, please do share it. You can do so using the easy share button below!