See You in September

One of things I like to suggest to people when they are struggling to make progress on projects is to see what daily or routine tasks can be put aside for a short while to give them the time and mental focus to work on said projects.

Maybe they just don’t do some of the daily tasks, maybe they farm it out to a service or a co-worker, or maybe they just do those daily tasks on a limited basis.  Regardless, people always say that this technique helps them give them a little extra time to work on those things that need extra time that they don’t normally have.

Sooo – I’m taking my own advice and taking the summer off from my regular writings of this blog.  I have another eBook that is screaming in my head to come out, and I have a couple other ideas and items that need more attention than they are getting.

So – off I go to use the sun and the summer break to shake up my routine and work on these things.

Maybe you can join me on my Summer of Projects.  What have you been putting off that you could tackle if you put some of the routine tasks on the back burner for a bit.  I’d love for you to share your goals with me.

Have a great summer – see you in September.

~Amy

One can dream – -right? But rest assured – this is not what I’ll be doing all summer! 

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Tips on Tuesdays…change your approach

I want to let you in on a dirty little habit of mine.  Well – it was a dirty little habit. OK – Stop it!  It is nothing like that.

I never take my make-up off at night before I go to bed.

I KNOW!  It is a horrible habit and something I just didn’t think was all that important.  Usually, by the end of my day, my make-up is all gone anyway and quite honestly – I’m just too tired to bother with it.  OK – I admit – I am being quite lazy.

A couple of years ago, I developed this rash on my eyelids – it looked like dry skin and it burned whenever I would put my eye makeup on.

I went to the doctor.

He gave me some ointment.

It didn’t really help.

I quit wearing eye makeup – I could only wear eyeliner and mascara – they didn’t seem to bother the condition.

A few months ago, I started to get a burning sensation on my cheek bones whenever I would put on my makeup.

OK – sidebar here – I don’t wear a lot of make up.  I feel it looks pretty natural, it isn’t the sort of thing that looks caked on. 

Anyway – thinking I’m getting older, my skin is changing…I swtiched to “cleaner” makeup, polled some friends as to what they were wearing, did they have any trouble.

Then it donned on me one night….I wonder if I just start washing my face every night – whether or not I feel I need it – I wonder if that might help.

Within two days – – the burning stopped.

Same sort fo secerniro….my husband suffers from chronic heartburn.  A few years ago he went on this big exercise program and was keeping up with it pretty successfully for a long time.  He lost some weight, and his heartburn went away.

Over time, his schedule changed and his workout frequency reduced, causing him to gain some weight back and his heartburn came back.

The other day, he mentioned that he wants to start working out again to help with the heartburn and to also allow him to stop taking the daily antacid.

I think somethings we search for a solution or a “fix” before we look at our current habits to change the things we want or need to change in our routines.

In dieting we look for pills or products that we can do or take to help us lose weight.  Instead, maybe we need to look at just changing hings to our routine.  What I mean is – instead of saying “I’m going to give up soda and sugar” – what if you say “I’m going to add more veggies and fruit and three more glasses of water to each day.”

Likewise – if you are rushing every morning to get the kids out the door and to the bus stop  – instead of bribing them or threatening them or just plain yelling – or instead of telling yourself – I’ll get up ten minutes early….what if you change the approach by getting everything ready the night before so all you have to do is get up, get ready, eat breakfast and out the door you go?

I’m using this same approach with a personal sleep study I’m conducting.  I know  I’ve shared with you that I suffer from insomnia.  I’ve tried a few different prescription sleep aids, yet , over the counter stuff seems to work best for me.  But now I’m tired of taking pills; which cause me to feel gross all the time, and depend more and more on caffeine.  So, I’m slowing eliminating some things from my routine (like sleep pills, caffeine, wheat, sugar) and adding things to my routine (more exercise, meditation and reading for pleasure) to see what has the best impact.  I’ll keep you posted.

Today’s tip – look at your current routine and before adding a canned solution – look for ways you can adjust things.  It might be something as small as washing your face at night or adding one more glass of water to your routine to see a difference.

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

~Amy

PS – we’re closing in on May and there’s still time to help with my May Challenge to sell 100 copies of Making Time for Dinner.  Have you gotten your copy yet?

Thursday’s Take….Thoughts on Attachment Parenting

I’m guessing that most people read the recent Time magazine article about Attachment Parenting.  Or maybe if you didn’t get a chance to read it, you certainly heard the buzz around the cover and got from comments what the article was about.

I don’t normally read Time, but I was curious about this article, so I picked up this issue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are my thoughts on Attachment Parenting…

I don’t like labels.

So for that matter, I don’t care much for labels like “Tiger Moms”, “Grizzly Moms”, “Soccer Moms” and “French-style Mothering” and whatever other labels there are out there.

I think the reason I don’t like to subscribe to one dogma of parenting style is because it is too limiting.  I don’t want to be placed in a box and only be able to determine what is best for my kids based on a few  guidelines.

My style of parenting is called “Tim and Amy Parenting“.  (Tim is my husband and the father of our two sons – ages seven and three.)

What I have learned from my two sons is that both are very different and both require a different approach when it comes to parenting.  And to try to fit them into a prescribed method, doesn’t seem fair to them or to me as a mother.

Here’s our approach when it comes to parenting:

• Consistency is key.
• Flexibility is key.
• Don’t approach every situation for every child, the same way.
• Trust our instinct.
• Take examples from our parents and how we perceived our childhood – what we liked and didn’t like about it and apply them to our children.
• Take examples from our sisters, cousins and friends – see what works and doesn’t work for them and determine if it might work for us too.
• Children need lots of love, patience and understanding, but they also need a dose of firm discipline every now and then.
• Communicate with each other what works and doesn’t work and try different things – always adjusting.

I am lucky to have two really good friends in my “village”.  One is a teacher and the other, a family and child therapist.  I strongly recommend getting some friends like these.  I have a Business degree and we didn’t learn one thing about the development of the brain and how children process things.  (But I can tell you all about how supply and demand works with kids…..it is very simple, really –  if they demand it – you better supply it!).

Seriously, my two friends are a source of expertise that I routinely rely on. They offer my insight from their experience and knowledge that I’d have to find else where if not for them.   If you don’t have friends with this knowledge, I suggest books or search for other sources of help like your family doctor or your pastor.  I’ve read many parenting books and always walk away with some sort of new knowledge or new tool in my belt.  I even learned something from the Time article.

For me – I don’t want to be put in a box and then try to cram my kids in there with me too.  I feel I owe it them to listen to their needs and watch their personalities and work my molding of them in ways that they will respond best.

Good luck with that parenting thing!

Happy Thursday!

~Amy

Thursday’s Takes are my personal opinion on current events or just random thoughts.  I’d love to hear what you think…leave your comments below.

Not Me Monday…A year from now…

Good Morning Everyone,

I’m not sure how I stumbled upon this blog that I’ll share with you today, but I have come to really like the writer.  She is working on a major weight loss goal for herself and trying to find answers to the plaguing questions of her life and her weight issues.  She is very genuine and her struggles are real and her triumphs should be celebrated.

I don’t really want my Not Me Monday to be about just blog sharing to promote other bloggers.  Not Me Monday is geared at featuring a different voice to share with you.  Today’s blogger talks about setting a goal and sometimes in the beginning, it is really hard to stick with it.  But if you do stick with it, within time you’ll see results and this will help continue to motivate you.

If you’re struggling to stay motivated on a challenge or a goal you’ve set for yourself, take a look at this post today – I think it will give you a little boost to “just keep swimming.”

Here you go – here’s the link:

Hot Mess Princess – – Pushing 40

Happy Monday!  Happy Week!

~Amy

PS – it is funny that she quotes Eleanor Roosevelt in her blog.  If you’d like a daily inspirational quote, subscribe to A Minute…A Thought.  This month we’re featuring Eleanor Roosevelt.

Tips on Tuesdays….change your clothes

How many times does this happen to you….

You wake up, set your workout gear aside and tell yourself “I am going to workout this afternoon.”

Then you go to work, come home and say “I’ll workout after dinner.”

Then you sit down and say “I’ll workout after this one show.”

And then you go to bed and say “I’ll workout in tomorrow.”

A whole day has passed and you didn’t get your workout in.

How can you change that – – change your clothes.

The first thing to do if you have an afternoon workout planned is to change your clothes.

By changing from your work or daytime attire into your gym shorts and sports bra, it sets you up for your workout.   It reminds you that you are planning on going for that run or that walk or that pressing play on that DVD.  It motivates you to stay focused and  then there is one less step to getting yourself out the door.

This really works!

In fact, I’m sitting here at 5:20 this morning as I write this.  My normal routine is to get up and read and write blogs for about an hour and then workout before it is time to wake the boys and get rolling on our day.  The days I change into my workout clothes (and even put my shoes on) are the days that it is much easier to transition from working to my workout.  But on those days when I stay in my PJ’s and work and read….it is much harder to get that workout in, instead I typically work too long and run out of time, and I find myself saying “I need to go change….”

Give it a try.  Do it today.  Report back tomorrow – did it help get that workout in?

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

~Amy

PS – we’re half way through my May challenge of selling 100 copies of my eBook, Making Time for Dinner.  Won’t you help me – buy your copy today.