And then comes magical January 1st. The shiny date of eternal optimism. The promise of a new year and all the potential that it holds. We can do anything on January 1st! We can accomplish all our goals! Anything we set our minds to! We are SUPER PEOPLE! January 1st makes things easy - we can eat all the kale, do all the push-ups, and dream-board all the vacations.
We’ve all been there. The last-minute gift struggle. No judgment - trust me. Sometimes the days just get away from us, and before we know it we are days away from the family holiday party, or something of the like. So I’m here to save you from a gift-less entry.
If you are not familiar with poke bowls, you are missing out. Truly. These bowls, which originated from Hawaii, are typically prepared with a rice bottom, raw fish, vegetables, and an amazing sauce.
There are very few holiday traditions that are as polarizing as the "Elf on the Shelf". Whether or not you participate in having an elf in your home may actually be more controversial than apple pie vs. pecan pie.
The idea of a Pinterest mom is simple, really. You spend your free time making Halloween costumes, organizing your home with countless woven baskets, baking healthy meals from scratch and making school lunches filled with cucumbers shaped like flowers and sandwiches shaped like zoo animals.
Part of honouring that is allowing their voices to be heard. Years ago, before his death, my sister interviewed my grandfather for a school project about the holocaust. I am forever grateful to her for doing this. At the time, I don't think we understood the true gift she was giving us. So today I wanted to honour his memory by using this space to share his story, unedited and in his own words.
There are also girls with whom she does not get along. Not for any other reason that these girls lack social graces and verbal filters. It takes everything in me to not get involved when she tells me that girls in her class have said rude things to her. She lets these comments roll off her back, and sometimes has a witty retort for the other girl. I know what it is like to be on the receiving end of these things and I want to protect her with all my heart.
These questions are magnified by not really knowing what our children are doing during the day. What ARE they learning? What concepts are being covered? When the typical response to "what did you learn today" is either "I don't know" or "stuff", how can you even be effective?
I *may* have mentioned once or twice that breakfast for dinner is a go-to in my house. We love eggs, since they work so well for fast, easy suppers, and will be eaten by both picky N and pescatarian J. Frittatas are the best dish for throwing in whatever you have in the fridge and getting rid of the odds and ends. It's also a great way to get veggies into children who think you are not a parent but a line-cook.
What I didn't realize is just how much the breathwork and meditation components would mean to me. Mindfulness is such an important part of good mental health, as is an awareness of one's self. I love that you don't need tools for the breathwork - it is the most portable form of self-care.
Life Love Mom 