Tag Archives: Moderation

The Easy Way Out

19 Apr

I’m an addict.

We are all addicts in one form or another. Whether it’s nicotine, sex, food, or conversation. I’m sure you could find something you feel you cannot live without. That’s addiction, simply put, anyway.

At one point in my life, I was addicted to smoking cigarettes. I had one reason to quit, and that was my pregnancy. Easy, when it’s for someone else.

Full disclosure: I’m currently addicted to diet soda. “Cherry Zero”, to be exact. I can’t go a day without it or I have withdrawal symptoms – headache, fatigue, leg cramps.

It’s AWFUL. It’s consuming. It’s horrible.

And I know how bad it is for my body. Otherwise, I’m a healthy eater. Whole foods, organic foods, local foods. I try to eat well & feed my family well, but I ingest this crap and cringe with every swallow.

Well, I’m committing to quitting. I’m ready to tell you, readers, that enough is enough.

This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.

In the past, I’ve practiced piano three to five hours a day to complete sonatas, concerti, and fugues.

I’ve learned to ski, to play tennis, to dance, to teach, to paint.

I’ve started two business from nothing.

I’ve given birth completely naturally three times!

I’ve survived a brain tumor, for the love of Jiminy Crickets!!!

How can this be more difficult than those moments?!

First of all, I didn’t give birth for me.

When we do things for ourselves, or at least try, attempt to do things for ourselves, there is an inner struggle. Perhaps fear, laziness or greed get in the way of achievement. Something may deter a goal from being easy.

When we do things for others, it’s easy. And it’s worth it.

I’ll just pretend that kicking this soda habit is for them: my smart, beautiful, healthy children. Because essentially, it is for them.

My life isn’t completely my own anymore. Most of everything I do is for them, and there is nothing wrong with that. They need me. I am their mother.

As difficult as this simple idea of quitting a habit may be, if I remember why, maybe it will be that much easier.

Then again, who said life was easy?!Sweet kids Easter 2013

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Thought Of The Day: June 26, 2012

26 Jun

I’ve said it before and I”ll say it again.  Some days are harder than others.  Lots of days of late are harder than others.

Yesterday was a hard day.  I was sick and the kids were a handful, laundry and dishes needed to get done, and blah Blah BLAH.

Yes, I know, I have three children.  Three.  But, c’mon, everyone has hard days regardless of their parental situation or lack thereof.  I’ve always had hard days, since I was a wee one.  Just like you.

Well, it’s a beautiful day outside.  I certainly don’t want to spend the day sulking in the dark.

Today, I’ve decided to

What will you do???

Hey!  I made that picture!  Yep, I used good ole’ trusty paint program on my good ole’ trusty old school computer.  It may be a tad bit cheesy and in no way a masterpiece, but I think it looks really, well, I don’t know…HAPPY! :)

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These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things: Fall Edition

4 Nov

I love fall.  I don’t like what it signifies - death, change…those kinds of things - but I do love everything that comes with it!

Pumpkins Picking them, carving them, painting them, roasting their seeds, eating them in various ways (pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes with pecans).  Let’s face it, they’re cool!  This year each one of us chose a different colored pumpkin.  Kind of fun, no?!

Color-Changing Leaves It’s neat to drive by the same trees & see how they change each day.  What’s even more fun is when they drop from the trees in quantities enough to jump into!  The kids enjoyed raking them into huge piles with cousins this year.  Their faces were priceless as they dove in with glee!

Tavia - 2 years old

Apples Picking them, carving them (we made stamps), eating them, drinking their cider, baking with them (Apple Crisp is my fave, also applesauce to last the whole year through).  Who doesn’t enjoy a good apple?!!

Fall Crafts We have been artsing & crafting like nuts around these parts!  Cut-out masks, leaf rubbings, apple & leaf stamps, our very own “tree”, lots of printable activities via the internet, the list goes on & on.  We just can’t get enough.

Pecan Pie Incredibly indulgent & full of unhealthy ingredients…need I say more?!

Halloween 2010

Halloween From making costumes to trick-or-treating and all the dance parties in between, Halloween may very well be my favorite Hallmark Holiday.

Autumnal Light  Outdoor photography in the fall is usually some of the most beautiful, assuming you’ve captured it on a day full of sunshine.

Places To Go, People To See I’m pretty sure we’ve visited every farm, corn maze, pumpkin patch & apple grove this side of the Mississippi.  The fun never ends at these places, so look into it next year for your little ones if you haven’t already.  There are usually plenty of free activities & lots to do at little cost…bonus!

Decor  Halloween decorations are fun, but so are the colors of fall around the home.  I like to have certain seasonal decor like a rust-colored table runner, a scarecrow scattered here & there throughout the house or a few sparkly pumpkin placemats for the kids.  It changes things up a bit and makes life fun - always a priority in our lives.

Clothing  I am a redhead, fall looks good on me :)

Harvest Moon  Not many things in life are better than a full, round, low-lying, giant fall moon.  You know, the kind of moon that makes you glad your heart is beating.

Thanksgiving At My Parent's House, 2010

Thanksgiving Dinner We are *thankful* to celebrate Thanksgiving three times each year.  Though it may be a time-crunching, hectic schedule to attend to, we get to indulge in three meals in return.  Not a bad deal!  The most scrumptious part about it?  Each of our families prepares Thanksgiving dinner in a different way, so we get a smorgasbord of tastings throughout the day.  Some of my personal favorites, besides the obvious turkey, gravy, stuffing & mashed potatoes:  mushroom caps in a wine-cream sauce, chestnut-stuffed artichokes, homemade cranberry jam, sweet yams (prepared in a way only my Grandmother can) and Yorkshire pudding (prepared in a way only my Grandmother-In-Law can!).  Can you say “YUMMMMM”?!  I never have room for dessert :)   Even luckier, only two dinners are served on the actual day of Thanksgiving, so the love is spread out (& our waistbands don’t expand too much on the day of)!  That is one day where my “all in moderation” philosophy is WAY out the window!

What are your favorite hints of autumn?  What do you look forward to most each year?  Do tell :)

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Quote Of The Day: #2

6 Oct

Rarely do I find quotes that are words to live by.  I usually come up with my own mantras, my personal theories of motivation.  Probably the biggest, best and most important dogma I definitely live through each day is to do what you love & love what you do.  I find it a waste to spend time, a lot of time at that, doing something that doesn’t complete me.  I like to feel fulfilled by my work and as if I’m leaving a good mark on the world.  Big or small, it doesn’t matter.  If you follow your true path, the impression will be created.

Yesterday, the loss of Steve Jobs, the mind behind many great innovations of our time, resonated with me for some reason.  I think this is why:

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.  And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.  If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking.  Don’t settle.  As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.  And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.  So keep looking until you find it.”

-Steve Jobs

Thank you, wise & intelligent man, for leaving your mark.  Hopefully people will listen & the world will, in turn, become a little happier.

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Relaxing Shower

4 Oct

The last time I took an uninterrupted shower was over 3 years ago.  Before baby, showering & prepping myself for the day took around an hour.  When Baby No. 1 was born, showers were a quick in-and-out as she napped or spent peeking through the curtain to see if she was still breathing.  Should I bring her in with me & take a lukewarm shower?  Maybe I can leave her in her seat downstairs while I jump in quickly?  Or perhaps she can sit in her seat right in the bathroom next to me?  Either way, being a new Mom, I was usually concerned & would never enjoy a hot shower.  Now, with two, showers come on nights & weekends when my husband is here.  Otherwise it’s during a very rare nap when both kids are asleep or being interrupted & running down the stairs sopping wet to find that my one year-old has discovered how to open the gate.  With another on the way, I realize I will never see a peaceful shower for at least 18 years.

It’s funny how we give things up as parents.  It’s also funny how I really don’t mind.  I don’t mind that I have to shower on the edge.  It makes it more productive that way.  Who says showers need to be relaxing anyway?!  Five- to ten-minute showers are much less enlightening, but they sure manage to produce a clean result.  Everything gets done in a timely fashion.  That seems to be the way all things are lately…

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