A dear friend recently announced her New Years intention with a gleam in her eye:
So simple, and yet so complex… Another good friend once shared this wisdom: “The baby comes out, and the guilt goes in.” Based on our observations from supporting thousands of new mothers, we have to agree. Our capacity for guilt is astounding.
Why not do exactly what you want?…
Read the rest on our blog at www.mamarenew.ca
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Of all the good intentions for a new year, one of the most effective ways to bring change into ones life is to simply clear the clutter, one of the most important and yet least acknowledged aspects of self-care. When we are surrounded by remnants of our busy lives it is hard to find a way to live in a way that allows us to be whole.
On the Mothering.com forum mommaof3boz posted a challenge to clear 5 items a day for 30 days = 150 items gone from your life. We agree that this is a prime time of year to clear the clutter – with the colder weather we spend a lot more time inside surrounded by our stuff…
Our family began the quest to clear clutter in the beginning of January. It has, not surprisingly, gone in spurts, with wild days of clearing, and moments of feeling like we’ve released enough. We’re finding, though, that after a few days of feeling “done”, a new awareness settles in of readiness to dive into yet another corner of our home.
Is there such a thing as “done” or “clear”? As a talented hoarder of things that I “might do something with one day,” I recognize that there will always be things in my life that I’m just not ready to let go of. And I’ve been through enough clearing binges to know that each time I reach a new level of clarity on what I truly want to have in my life.
While we may not be “done” quite yet, the kitchen feels infinitely more manageable these days with clear counters and room on the shelves. And the hallway cabinet even has a few empty drawers that I don’t even know how to fill. We can see the floor in the basement again. And it feels Good. Tonight? The craft collection…my favourite place to hoard.
As for the challenge,we’re well beyond 150! Turns out if you get me at the “right time of the month” I can get rid of just about anything…
Care to join me in the challenge? You can start today, or next month, or next year – whenever you’re ready. Once you start, however, be warned – it’s hard to stop!
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In the spirit of supporting your best intentions, Mama Renew is pleased to offer you a new feature on our Mothering blog. Watch for our RENEW post in which we will seek to inspire, challenge, and encourage you to care for yourself with a self-care inspiration. While we undoubtedly will suggest the occasional yoga class or a candlelit bubble bath, we plan on expanding your vision of self-care to include far more.
We encourage you to take each RENEW inspiration to heart. Some will be simple, others playful, and still others challenging, but we will do our best to keep them small – because each small step makes a word of difference in moving towards reconnection, balance, and renewal.
We know you’re busy. We hope that our prods and nudges will help create the space for you to care for yourself. And a few steps down the road of self-renewal, you might just discover that by caring for yourself, you are better able to care for your family.
You can come here to our Mothering blog every other week to read the latest RENEW, or sign up to receive RENEW for free every other week by email. Learn more here!
Here’s a sample RENEW, posted January 4th!
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The New Year is a wonderful opportunity to declare our resolutions with the best of intentions and the hope that maybe this will be the year . . .
At the core, our resolutions are often based on our desire to reconnect, rebalance and renew. We’ve all seen friends who successfully make extraordinary changes in their lifestyle, fitness, relationships, and more. We know that resolutions can be met with success, but also require time, dedication and support.
In the busy life of motherhood making a commitment to a resolution isn’t always easy. The needs of family, work, and household can make it difficult to follow through. While stating our desire to change is of course, the first step, it is the following steps are where we tend to lose our way.
Here are a few practical ideas to help you have your best chance at success:
* Talk with a friend who has made a successful change – what helped?
* Share your resolution in a public way – Blog? Monthly e-mail updates? Support group?
* Ask friends to check in with you about your progress.
* Journal the ups and downs and strive to understand the underlying beliefs and patterns that can get in the way of successful change.
What is your next step to support you in living your best intentions in this fresh new year?
Originally shared by Mama Renew on Kindervibe, January 5th 2010
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(and lovely to reflect on one year later…)
We know that self-care is all about the small moments. The five minute stretch, tea with a friend, saying no, asking for help… Each of these nurtures our growth as women and mothers, and represent one step forward on the path of Mama Renew. In honour of the small moments, we are excited to share with you our new biweekly email & blog update:
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