New Year, New Resolutions, New You!

January 2, 2014Leave a comment

Anybody else shocked that 2013 went by so quickly? I know I am… This year I will officially have some big kids in the house. A 12 year old, an 8 year old, and a 7 year old all under one small beach cottage roof! That is a ton of boyness and all the smelly stuff that goes along with #momof3boys syndrome.

Onto more important issues now. NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS!

Yep, I said it. The “R” word that everyone and their brother spits out once January 1st rolls around, but no one mutters a week later. I feel we should continue to talk about these resolutions throughout the year. Goals and intentions make up “resolutions” and it is our desire to always be better that drives us to set these every new year. So, how do you make a resolution? How do you keep them once you make them?

Here are 4 ways to make your resolutions better and you a better person in the process.

1. Goals are part of a resolution. Goals should be attainable and of interest to the person making the goal. They should be specific enough to have focus but not too specific to be counter-productive. Goals should also be positive and have a good effect on your life and others around you. Here is a great goal worksheet from lululemon athletica. Click on the PDF vision_goals_worksheet to download your own copy.

2. Intentions. Setting intentions for the new year is also important to make your goals happen and effect positivity in the world around you. Intentions guide your actions and your aim. Make your intentions positive and bring them back to your goals. Use these intentions to direct your life.

3. Find a partner in your resolution setting. A partner keeps you accountable. A partner also motivates you to keep chugging along. Your partner should be someone that is positive and makes you a better person. My partner is always my husband. He is the supportive person I need to hold me up and encourage me to follow my intentions and attain my goals. Each year, we review what we did accomplish and have an open discussion about what we want to do in the year to come.

4. Resolutions should be rooted in what makes you happy. Too many times, we sacrifice our happiness for the everyday life. But, I really don’t think we have to do that. I think our everyday life should be happy. Yes, we have chores and other ‘jobs’ that must get done to make our lives run smoothly. Find your HAPPY. What will it take to get there? Then do it! Happiness should never be sacrificed or pushed to the side.

Here are a few of my Goals for 2014:

1. Finish my NARM PEP and sit for my Certified Professional Midwifery exam.

2. Attend and receive my Olympic Lifting Certification through CrossFit. I am already registered for the seminar in March at my CrossFit box!

3. Hold an unsupported handstand.

4. Get a strict pull-up and ring dip.

5. Help my family save money for a house renovation. This means finding extra money in our family budget.

6. Find expression through blogging, crafting, and creating.

Good luck with your New Year’s Resolutions!

31 Days of Beach Living: Days 23-29 Busyness

October 30, 2013Leave a comment

This writing a new blog post every day for 31 days is tough! I knew it would be but I did have a hard time visualizing the impact on my family. And, since I spout sage advice on “family time”, I listened when my oldest stated bluntly, “Mom, you are on the computer again. It’s all you do lately.” That was an “Wow, Okay!” moment for me. Hence, the long break in blog posts.

Here is what I was up to during those days of no posts:

1. Football practice and a really awesome football game with the oldest Green boy. The GN Buckeyes are heading into the last game of the season with a 7-1 record. This upcoming Saturday we play the #1 seeded team. This means practice very night except Halloween.

2. Running errands in my new favorite outfit: lululemon athletica Wunder Under Pants and Contempo Jacket with an awesome black skull scarf from Target. I could seriously wear this everyday… it might become a problem.

3. Hanging with my family. We even WOD together on the weekends and odd weekdays. Just this past week the middle Green boy set a new bench press PR. He only weighs 74lbs but benched 35#. The oldest Green boy has been programming his own WODs to increase his leg strength and explosiveness.

4. Baking and cooking for friends and family. I have this thing… I bake cakes and desserts for my close friends and family members on their birthdays. On Monday, I baked a GF version of a pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap-almond crust. Find the recipe here at Tried and Tasty. I substituted almonds and GF Gingersnaps from Trader Joe’s in the crust. I also made her some grassfed beef chili and GF green chiles cornbread.

5. Watching football. It’s a family hang out time. We also use it as our cheat meal day.

6. Visiting with my mom and lots of FaceTime with my brother and new niece.

7. Sewing a quilt for my new niece.

8. Oh, I pulled my hamstring muscle. I decided to do the splits (which I used to do in yoga frequently). Yes, I still managed the splits but hurt myself proving that 38 year olds can still do them.

9. And, the best sister in the world surprised me with an 90 minute massage this week. Gotta love sister’s with a CMT license and an opening in their schedule.

I learned this week that it is okay to take a break from your blog… And, that writing a post everyday takes time.

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 6 Indian Summer?

October 7, 20131 Comment

Did we just have an Indian Summer? It sounds good, so I was telling everyone this past weekend what a glorious Indian Summer we were having in October. We were on the beach. The boys went skim boarding. I packed up the Roll-eeze (best beach invention evah!) – with food, drinks, and even the umbrella. My sister and her family joined us on the beach. The adults even had the chance to SUP on the bay. It had all the “hotness” of an Indian Summer. So I thought.

Well, I just got schooled… I decided while writing this post in my head last night in those last stages of consciousness that I would research the phrase. Good ole Farmer’s Almanac just proved my beautiful 85°F+ weather weekend wrong.

According to the The Old Farmer’s Almanac, an true Indian Summer must meet the following requirements:

“As well as being warm, the atmosphere during Indian summer is hazy or smoky, there is no wind, the barometer is standing high, and the nights are clear and chilly.
A moving, cool, shallow polar air mass is converting into a deep, warm, stagnant anticyclone (high pressure) system, which has the effect of causing the haze and large swing in temperature between day and night.
The time of occurrence is important: The warm days must follow a spell of cold weather or a good hard frost.
The conditions described above must occur between St. Martin’s Day (November 11) and November 20. For over 200 years, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has adhered to the saying, “If All Saints’ (November 1) brings out winter, St. Martin’s brings out Indian summer.””

I thought we had a few weeks of cold weather, but honestly, it was in the 70’s. It certainly felt cold. Now that I know what an Indian Summer is, I think I’m good with what I had this past weekend. Sun, small breezes, low tide loveliness, SUP boarding with my sister, and the boys got sandy.

A PERFECT BEACH DAY IN OCTOBER!

Stand-Up Paddle Board and the Chesapeake Bay

31 Days Challenge: Day 5 Turquoise

October 6, 20131 Comment

For awhile (most of my married life), I made this conscious decision to not use blue in any of my decorating. I guess it was some anti-beach cottage decorating style. But, I have always loved blue. And, I live by the beach. And, I love the beach. And, blue, especially turquoise, reminds me of the beach. This past “flood” <I can go into that in another post> repair I made another conscious decision to put blue hues back into the house. Best decision ever!

Turquoise is by far my favorite blue hue. I recently repainted my formerly red kitchen island turquoise. I also painted turquoise chevron stripes on our front porch floor. I have used Pinterest to pin all my ideas and for inspiration.

So, don’t be afraid to decorate with your favorite colors. You will be more happy in your own space if you do.

Feeling Blue Board

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 2 Beach Glass

October 3, 2013Leave a comment

: Panoramic of my view as I crest the sand dune.

Looking for beach glass on the sandy shores of the Chesapeake Bay has never been about looking for beach glass. For me, the ocean/beach/salt water/sun/salty air is one of the most healing places. It is where I have made some of the most important life-changing decisions of my life. Searching for beach glass on this very beach is where I came to the realization that I wanted to marry a certain dashing chiropractor, have my first home birth with my first child, & take on the challenge of becoming a midwife. Walking the beach and feeling the sand between my toes allows me to release stress and anxiety. Feeling the sun warm on my limbs and face encourages me to trust myself. Breathing in the salty warm air reminds me to take in a fresh breath and breathe out stale air. Absorbing the beauty of the water and nature and shoreline requires me to redirect my thoughts.

: Left to Right: White beach glass, Blow fish, Amber beach glass, Green beach glass, Horseshoe crab, Green beach glass, Bounty for the day.

Today’s search for beach glass was all about taking time for myself. I realized that I don’t do that enough. With 3 boys in school and full schedules, midwifery, WOD’ing, coaching, wife-ing, and just being myself, it is hard to take an hour for me.

: Pound nets and gulls.

I keep all my beach glass in jars. I spread it on platters. I use it to fill up a glass lamp base. I make jewelry with it. Each and every piece is a reminder to take in the beauty of life.

: Fort Story signs, low tide ripples, beach walkway

____________________________________________________________________________

The end of summer is always mournful in our house of 3 boys, 1 pug, 2 cats, and a mom and dad that love the Chesapeake Bay. The mornings, days, and evenings are chilly and dew regularly forms on the grass and plants. The busy-ness of school and organized sports has begun. And, the ever popular Starbucks PSL is available for the season. Our trips to the beach become more distant. We still make it down for occasional sunset walks but not our daily “have to get into the salt water” excursions. Hurricane season will soon come to an end bringing with it Nor’easter season.

Good-bye Summer! Until we meet again…

: The warm summer sand of the Chesapeake Bay and the middle Green Boy.

31 Days Blog Challenge

October 2, 2013October 2, 2013Leave a comment

Follow along as I “attempt” to write a new post for 31 days. Thanks to The Nesting Place and her encouragement for this Linky Blog Party.

Some of my upcoming topics are:

Day 1: Summer’s End

Day 2: Beach Glass

Day 3: Football and Boys

Day 4: Saving One Rack at a Time – Barbells for Boobs

Day 5: Turquoise

and many more to come….Stay Tuned

Visit other 31 Day Challengers

Click here to access all the bloggers participating in the 31 Day Challenge.

The XFit Midwife

A Mash Up of Birth, CrossFit™, Essential Oils, Good Food, Style & Family

Tag: blogging

New Year, New Resolutions, New You!

31 Days of Beach Living: Days 23-29 Busyness

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 6 Indian Summer?

31 Days Challenge: Day 5 Turquoise

31 Days of Beach Living: Day 2 Beach Glass

31 Days Blog Challenge

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