Despite not blogging about this challenge on the right day, I accomplished this challenge.

I indulged in Butter Pecan ice cream at lunch and then macaroni and cheese at dinner. YUM.

Now, there are ways to indulge and still be healthy if you’re watching your waistline and calories. Low-fat yogurt or pudding are excellent choices. One of my favorite indulgences is Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Whip by Yoplait! (totally unsponsored) It’s chocolate, it’s creamy, and it’s under 200 calories.

I hope you indulge and let yourself enjoy what YOU want to it instead of cramming down another PB&J because it’s what you made for the kids!

We’re glad you’re here for the 21 day self-care challenge. Time for a treat for you! How often do you eat what you want? If you’re a mom, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, or chicken nuggets may be the order of the day, week, month, or decade. What are you craving? A grown-up treat you never indulge? Not a slave to the limited tastes of those around you? Good for you! Maybe you defer to others’ preferences for restaurants, menu choices, or special … Read More

via LIVING The Self-Care Challenge, Oct. 6-26, 2010

Music has always played an integral role in my life. I can’t remember any time in my life without a song attached to it. I may not be able to remember the name of all the songs or the artist, but the music is there.

Music is the language of the soul – it can change the course of your day with just one beat or note.

Give it a go in your own life. It’s so worth it!

Welcome to day five of the 21 day self-care challenge. You're almost one quarter of the way there! Through the ages, lullabies are proof of the power of music to calm. There’s that oft-misquoted saying about how music “hath charms to soothe the savage breast” (or beast, to repeat the common mistake).  You’ve witnessed the lullaby effect—so why reserve it for babies? As one mom affirmed, facing the challenges of two small girls and endless Veggie … Read More

via LIVING The Self-Care Challenge, Oct. 6-26, 2010

I know I’m late with this post and technically it is Day 5 of the Challenge.

My Dad was visiting and we had a very unofficial Thanksgiving dinner with him tonight. The kids had a blast and my day was spent away from the computer (but not my phone).

I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this challenge. Back in June, I started to do 20 minutes of yoga immediately after waking. It was so invigorating that I stopped drinking coffee. My body grew stronger, my balance improved, and I was able to interact with my family in a more energetic way for the rest of the day. I was also walking almost a mile and a half. Then I was doing 40 minutes of Pilates during the kid’s nap time too. For the first time in my life, I was loving the way I felt and looked.

In July, my oldest daughter got sick, I had a toothache, and and and…. etc…. excuses excuses. I got out of the habit and stopped doing my morning yoga. Wanna know what happened? I got grumpy, stopped playing with my kids as much and went back to drinking coffee and soda. I gained weight (nearly 5 lbs in 43 days) as well.

This past week, I started back to my yoga routine. For one day. This next week though? Yoga. EVERY day. Next week? Yoga and walking. The next week? Yoga, walking, and Pilates. The next week? Yoga, walking, Pilates, and Wii in the evenings. For me. Because I deserve to feel and look good. FOR ME.

Join me! Take care of your body!

Over the hump of week #1 of the 21 day self-care challenge! A worthy accomplishment! Most of us know the value of exercise for coping with stress. You deserve to be proud if you already exercise three times or more each week. Like many women, however, finding a significant block of time for exercise is one of life’s biggest challenges, especially if you have children or elderly parents in your care. Increasingly, research has shown that small bur … Read More

via LIVING The Self-Care Challenge, Oct. 6-26, 2010

I am horrible at organization, often citing motherhood as an excuse. Making a To-do list is on my to-do list of things I need to do. And yes, that makes my head hurt too.

At the end of a long day, the last thing I want to think about is what I need to get done the following day. All I want to do is melt into my couch and become one with it as the TV blares my favorite shows.

Lately I have been struggling with feeling as if I’ve accomplished anything in a single day as most days I am lucky if I have managed to complete a single thought without interruption from one of my children, the dogs, or my husband. As mothers we are so very often pulled in every direction and do not stop to give ourselves time we need.

In addition to today’s challenge, I am throwing my own out there. One of the things I want you to be able to put on your “Did do” list tonight is ‘took time for myself.’ It does not matter what you do – it could be a cup of coffee, tea, reading a book, staring at nature, short 5 minute nap at your desk or while your child naps, a walk… something, anything. But today? Be SURE to put ‘time for ME’ on your Did do list. Then share your Did do list over at the Living Self-Care Challenge page. Let’s get stuff done AND take care of ourselves today!

I know I will!

WOW, you’re back! Hurray for you—you’re three days into the 21 day self-care challenge. If you are like most women, you have an endless “to do” list.  Also like most women, you probably climb into bed at day’s end bemoaning everything that’s still on the list. Most of us don’t make lists that are easily completed in one day. Life—upset tummies, tantrums, last-minute but forgotten projects–just gets in the way! [caption id="attachment_132" align= … Read More

via LIVING The Self-Care Challenge, Oct. 6-26, 2010

It’s Day Two of Living the Self-Care Challenge.

How are you doing with the Challenge?

Yesterday did not go so well with me to be honest. The day got away from me and I did not do the activity.

But today, I woke up, determined to take back some time for myself. I helped the girls get ready for school and once my husband left to take them to school, I turned on the Wii to do my 23 minutes of daily Yoga.

I like the awareness Yoga brings to my life even though a recent statement from Southern Baptist Leader Albert Mohler claims that Yoga is not Christian through objecting to the belief that “the body is a vehicle for reaching consciousness with the divine.”

As a Christian and a member of a Southern Baptist Church, I take issue with Dr. Mohler’s belief. When I practice Yoga, I take a Christian based approach. My movements may be based in Yoga but what is going on in my head is not. I take the time to pray and focus on my relationship with God. When one is sitting still and reading the Bible or praying, is one not using his/her body and mind to connect with God? I rest my case.

Digression aside, breathing is a huge part of relaxation. The practice of deep breathing, as suggested by today’s Tip in the Self-Care Challenge, forces you to step out of a stressful situation and focus on YOU. The more balanced and in focus you are, the more balanced and focused your life and those around you are in return. We’re all together in this life – so let’s make it a good one by taking care of ourselves first and others second.

Welcome back to the 21 day self-care challenge! Stress affects mood, worry and health—every day. The “fight or flight” response triggers up to fifty times daily. The release of cortisol and epinephrine into the bloodstream in response to internal or external threat leads to physical illness including heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes—as well as feeling overwhelmed. To combat this constant flood of stress hormones, your breath is a b … Read More

via LIVING The Self-Care Challenge, Oct. 6-26, 2010