The Self Care Series: Part I

Today's post is going to be fairly short. This move that we're doing, along with having my grandmother in town is taking a lot of my time. Lovingly, I am with my grandmother, as she is helping me finally pick out my upgraded engagement ring! I'm thinking today- if I can make it happen to either keep looking for a ring, or maybe even window shop for my wedding dress! Oh, did I mention we are getting married in April (more on that on a later post, let the wedding blogs begin!)?

So todays post is on Meditation like I promised last week. The reason I wanted to share meditation with you is because I know the mass amounts of reasons of why it is good for you; mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.

What I do know, is that a lot of people tend not to meditate- including myself. For the last two years my life has solely revolved around my son, and my fiancee. At moments I'd have people comment on how "parenting is a form of meditation", but it just didn't feel the same as sitting peacefully by myself with nothing at all to think about.

So here I am, re-entering this world of peace, space, self care, and health.

Oddly enough, I signed up for Oprah & Deepak Chopra's 21 day meditation that started just 2 days ago! What a coincidence, especially since this post is on meditation.

The meditations are based around Expanding Your Happiness. The recordings are about 20 minutes in total, with the meditations lasting about 9-10 minutes after Oprah introduces the subject, and Deepak talks about it more in depth before you actually have to close your eyes. Its incredibly easy, even if your a Mama like me. And if your not a parent? Well, then you have no excuse! Right? 

I'm kidding! Life gets busy, I know! But, I'm sure if you knew it helps you to de- stress, increases your immune system, balances emotions, helps with skin issues like psoriasis and eczema, helps to clear your mind for optimal mental health, among many other wonderful benefits. 

The benefits don't stop when you open your eyes, it stays with you throughout your day- what a bonus!

If you want to look into more information on the health benefits, come check this out

7 Health Benefits of Meditation

If you really feel short on time (and you have an IPhone), look into one of my favourite apps called 5 min relaxation. Before the 21 day meditation started I only put 5 minutes aside for meditation just in the last week. Any time you put in will be beneficial!

So why not give it a shot? What do you have to loose?

I'd still love to hear your thoughts on any ideas for the last 1-2 weeks of this self care series. Is there something you'd like to me to cover? See what I plan on covering here, and drop me a line by signing into your google account, or use the open ID in the comment section just below.

Thanks! Guess my post wasn't so short after all, was it? Time to start the day, and I hope you have a good one!

The photo above is used courtesy of adamr/ freedigitalphotos.net

Introducing: The Self Care Series

This image is courtesy of artur84/ freedigitalphotos.net

I've been wanting to post about this for quite some time. It just took some 'urgency' to do so.

After this weekend I realized how much more effort I want to put into myself. I don't know if you read my Monday post this week, but I had a moment with my fiancee (check it out here), and in that not so obvious moment of realization I knew it was time to put my foot down- with myself. I say, enough with the mommy look!

Here and there I make time for myself, but its not a routine. I don't make an effort everyday, and its something I'd like to do because I always feel good when I take care of myself. I feel refreshed, and recharged! 

This Self Care series will be split up into a few different posts, and with my new schedule I just posted for blogging yesterday (check it out here) you can come back next Wednesday for another addition. 

This week (after all my rambling), I'd like to start off by introducing you to the topics I have on my mind. I'd also like to ask for input as to what I could write about for self care- ideas are always welcome!!

• Week 1: Meditation
• Week 2: Exercise
• Week 3: Skin Care 
• Week 4: Hair (oh god- THE HAIR! Did I mention I used to be a stylist?)
• Week 5: New make up regime? (mine is about 2 minutes..)
• Week 6: ...help me out here ;)

Please, if there's anything you'd like to see me write about, I'd more than happy to do it! Is there something you've been wanting to do for yourself? Let me be your cheerleader, I can be a good one! I may have fluffy hair at times, but I'm working on it. I think I scared myself when I looked in the mirror this weekend, but that scare was for me to start making leaps and bounds for the woman I want to become. 

Becoming a mother has changed me. Not only is raising a toddler a sometimes hectic experience, but the last few years of life has changed me. In that transitional period I think I lost face- sometimes those moments in life are difficult, and you just forget about yourself, so I'll call this my 'polishing period'. Have you had one of those? This is my terminology, so don't go looking it up ok?

I might even Youtube this.... no promises though, but I'm considering it right now. If I don't Youtube this now, I'll do it at a later date after I write the posts.

Let the brainstorming begin! (please leave comments below this post after you have signed into your google account, or just sign in with "open ID" which is another option. Thank you!

6 steps to organizing the perfect day

Photo is courtesy of 2nix/ freedigitalphotos.net

Well, I decided to take back the reins of my life yesterday after what felt like a mini meltdown. It was great to do a self-care night with healthy food, a good book with wine after my day.

Before I hit the sack that night, I decided to get my life back on track by organizing a perfect day. It was quite a simple one at that (you can also check out more information on organizing your life in a later post I did called To do list)

1. Make a green- fatty smoothy for breakfast- I'll recipe this one at a later date and give you more details on the 'fatty' aspect of it- also, prepare my sons breakfast
2. Clean my house
3. Have a cup of coffee and blog for an hour
4. Get outside with my son 
5. 5 minute meditation (with my 5 min relax app)
6. Exercise and read my new book while my son takes his afternoon nap

And I accomplished every single one if those! My silent chant after I finished my list (silent because the last of it had to be accomplished while my son Toli slept) was "I did it, I did it, I did it!!" And boy was I a happy camper! I felt good about my day. I got my sweat on with this HIIT workout that I talked about recently, got all my work done and most importantly-contributed to natural stress relief with meditation which is very calming, and also got some endorphins running through my body again. I like to think that I'm very proactive when it comes to getting out of a funk. I don't like staying down very long, even if its only a day I go a little bonkers- so I'm glad I had my 'to-do' list ready.

I find that writing things down on paper helps so much when we need to get stuff done. Just the act of scratching it out makes me feel accomplished. What helps you get through tasks of the day?

Life Hack- Exercise

It has been too long since I've posted! And I cannot wait another day (I like to start my blogs off on Tuesdays- but I'm having blogging withdrawls). So here is a post to start off our week after a long hiatus. My 6 day trip to Mexico landed me in the hospital shortly after we arrived at home with a lovely bug, 3 days in a hosptial bed, and a week at my grandparents to help me look after my ball of energy 2 year old son.

This is where I tell you how naturally lazy I am at heart- because I am. 

Not a hard feat to admit. I can laze around in the sun all day if life (and Vancouver) permitted me to. I love hiking, river rafting, biking and snowboarding a LOT but it doesn't mean that I don't have to muster up every ounce of energy and will to actually get out there and do it. 

Sometimes if I'm hiking The Chief in Squamish to the second peak I ask myself "why oh WHY am I doing this again?!?" And then I get to the top and remember how breath taking the view is from such heights. 

(this photo was taken during a hike I did in 2009)

I've been talking about something for the past little while and it went a little something like this "I'm going to find a life hack for working out that actually works!" But I can't take credit for this one- I found it on Facebook! 

Let me introduce to you a new friend I will be becoming acquainted to this week called 

HIIT

High intensity interval training. 

Yes, this type of training is supposed to take LESS time than the normal 1 hour+ that people usually spend in the gym- and get you results FASTER! The lazy part inside of me is saying "YES! Lets do this!" And the motivated side is saying the same. As a mother of a toddler who is at his most active, curious and rambunctious state of his life- I have to fit a lot of "me" time into his nap time (which can range anywhere between 1-2 hours). And in that time I usually; clean house, cook lunch, blog, try to incorporate 15 minutes of meditation, and workout. Now all of that happens almost everyday except the last 2 which are incredibly important to this mama's life. 

So if I can fit in a HIIT workout for 10-20 minutes just before he rises I will be one FIT mama! I'm looking forward to it- are you? Come try out this easy (not so easy) 4 move HIIT workout for the next 2 weeks. I know it'll stick around longer but it gives my mind ease to have a set date (and its also awesome to have goals to work towards).

Are you like me and have been looking for this all your life? I'm pretty stoked to try this out. Whatever can get this lady toned and happy is good in my books! 

Video by: Insane Home Fat Loss 
Website: http://sixpackshortcuts.com/rdm3

Please let me know if you'll be joining me on this little adventure by commenting below!