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31 Days to Finding Balance

Monday, October 31, 2011

Day 31 - It's All Up To You

Here it is, the last post of my 31 day journey. (still can't believe I actually blogged for 31 days straight!!)

What I've learned along the way is.....there is no wrong way, no right way, no two people find balance in the same way! Do we ever truly find balance...I'm not sure. We just keep going! As long as we keep trying, and giving it our all we are bound to make it through!

To my friend Luz who invited me to join her on this journey, we've never met in person, but I love her like she lives next door to me and I've known her forever!! (someday we will meet, I'm sure of it!!). Thanks for the journey my friend!! Much Love!!

xoxo

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Day 30 - So Tell Me......


Only one day left of this 31 day journey....tell me what's the most important thing for you when trying to balance it all??
xoxo

Day 29 - Life Is A Balancing Act


Isn't that the truth??

xoxo

Friday, October 28, 2011

Day 28 - Care For Your Body

Having a high energy level is a trait held by many highly successful people. No matter what your present level of energy, you can increase it by following these steps: Eat. Don't skip meals. Your physical and mental energy depend upon nourishment. Irregular eating patterns can cause a frayed temper, depression, lack of creativity and a nervous stomach.Exercise. Over and over again, highly successful people mention the benefit of exercise routines. . The benefits of exercise are mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. If you are healthier and have more stamina, you can work better and longer.
I've left this topic as one of my last posts, well....because, this is something I suck at!!!! I believe everything that is stated above, I just don't do it!! I have NO EXCUSES!! I always say, I'll start tomorrow and of course tomorrow comes and goes. Hoping that I will get on with taking care of my body!
xoxo

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Day 27 - Re-Do Your To Do List

A to-do list is a day, time and life management tool. Regrettably a to-do list can take over your life and manage you instead. If you find that you cannot make a decision or be spontaneous even on your off days, if you can barely breathe without checking your to-do list, it is time to take back control.
Weed out the tasks on your list that are unrealistic, counter-productive and keeping you from spending quality time with your family, your friends, your hobbies and yourself. If you feel you must, schedule “Be spontaneous” or “Forget the to-do list” on your to-do list and do just that.
I've had to ditch my to do lists!! I get stressed when I don't get everything on it done, so I just quit making them!!
Do you make lists?? Do you get it all done??
xoxo

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Day 26 - If You Fall, Get Back Up

This is so important....Perservere!!!! Don't call it a failed attempt and give up, when the next try at something may lead to success. Maybe it won't lead to success today...maybe it will be next week, maybe next month, maybe next year, and maybe it will take a lifetime.

Life comes moment to moment, so we must be here now, giving our full attention!
A life of balance means living in the present and meeting ourselves where we are at this moment.
Don't give up!!!
xoxo

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Day 25 - Love Yourself

When you completely respect the person you are, and when you are true to your inner word, balance will be a normal part of your entire life.
You must be true to yourself and love who you are "today." You are the person you are, and regardless of what others may tell you or what you may think others think about you, up until this very moment, you have defined exactly who you are. Good, bad or indifferent, you are the person you are and you should love that person deeply. It doesn't mean you have to stay this way; it just means you recognize the "you" you really are and that you are in harmony with who that person is right now. This is a huge step towards finding inner balance.
Couldn't have said it better myself!! You have to love you!!! Sure we will always have things we want to change about ourselves, but no matter what "you have to love yourself". I always say "you either like me or you don't, but this is me, and I like me....take it or leave it"
Go do what you do and LOVE YOU!
xoxo

Day 24 - Get Enough Rest

Do you notice how your day is soooo much better when you've had a good nights rest? You get more done and you are in a better mood.

I am notoriuous for not getting enough sleep! I crawled in bed way early for me last night, didn't even watch Monday Night Football (that is just not me)!! I was just plain tired!

They say at least 8 hours a night, well I got that and more last night!! It happens about once a month where I finally give in, and it just feels good!!!

Here's to getting 8 hours each night!!!

xoxo

(another late post....stay tuned for another later today)

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Day 22 - Do Nothing

Sometimes you just have to say....***k it!!! Today was one of those days!!! We had Lil's last day of cheer, then we came home and have done a whole lot of nothing!!! The house needs to be picked up, Lil's mess from the day needs to picked up...but ya know what?? I'm really ok with it waiting till tomorrow!!!!

Sometimes it good to just have "do nothing" days!!

xoxo

Day 21 - Practice Makes Perfect


It's late....well it's really early!!!
Today was all about practicing balance. Work, our favorite band Wayland...then tomorrow our last day of cheer, and i'm sure a nap will fit into there too!!
So I've given you a video of the band we saw tonight!! Be sure to check them out....Great Music.....Great Guys!!!
xoxo
(oops on the late part, could not get my video on here. Be back later for today's post!!)

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Day 20 - Establish a Support System

Be willing to ask for help AND receive it. Enlist family, friends, neighbors, professionals and others to help you as needed.
I hope you are all as lucky as I am with this one! I have an amazing family and friends and I know that I am never alone...if I need help, it's there. I wish the same for all of you!!
xoxo

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Day 19 - Don't Work Yourself To Death

You've got to set some boundries when it comes to your work life!

Set certain days and times that are only for you or for your family. Instead of causing you to fall behind, you will probably work more efficiently during the rest of the week.
xoxo

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Day 18 - Keep walking..


This is how I feel sometimes....just keep walking that line, keep trying to find my balance!!

Keep walking...keep walking...just keep walking!!!

xoxo

Monday, October 17, 2011

Day 17 - Don't Take On Too Much

It is hard for many of us to delegate responsibility to others. Whether it is at work or in the home, we become victims of the “I’ll just do it myself” mentality. The result is that we spend too much time focusing on certain aspects of our lives while neglecting others. We quickly forget that everything is a trade-off. Learn to delegate to co-workers, family members and your spouse. Return the favor for them to achieve an even greater balance.
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate!!! I FOR SURE have the "I'll just do it myself" mentality!! Nobody does it the right way but me! Who am I kidding...!!! Seriously, I always load the dishwasher, well, cause I'm the only one in this house that does it right. Really Lori?? What makes my way better?? I have no idea, I just have to get over those things!! Oh lord, the dishwasher is just a start on what I could go on about, but I think I'll ONLY go there!! LOL
Of course that is just a little thing...but I always take on too much. I have to learn to say no once in awhile!!
Are you a victim of the "I'll just do it myself" mentality??
xoxo

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Day 16 - Be Nice To Others

Plain and simple.............Be Nice To Others!!
Being nice and being kind to others has the "pay it forward" effect that not only makes you feel good but quite possibly improves the world around you!
I try to instill in my daughter and all of the kiddos that I take care of:
Do unto others.....treat people the way you want to be treated!
xoxo

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Day 15 - Be Positive


Be positive, Stay positive!!!
Positive upbeat people tend to have a clearer point of view and generally speaking get more of what they want out of life....including proper balance.
This is a HUGE thing for me...I believe in staying positive...it's the one thing in this journey to Finding Balance that I can say...I've Got This!!!
Is your glass half full or half empty??
Happy Saturday!!
xoxo

Friday, October 14, 2011

Day 14 - Slow Down

Slow Down

Life is too short, so don't let things pass you by! Take time to stop and enjoy the things and people around you. Schedule more time between meetings; don't make plans for every evening or weekend, and find some ways to distance yourself from the things that are causing you the most stress.

Happy Friday!!!

xoxo


Thursday, October 13, 2011

Day 13 - No Regrets

The things in the past are just that....the past. We can't change these things, they are over and done...you have to move on and hopefully you learned something from it all!! Living with regret throws everything off Balance, we can't be overcome with the should've, the could've or the would've.
Life in the present and enjoy each moment as it happens!!
xoxo

Day 12 - Almost forgot...

Be back later today!!
xoxo

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Day 11 - Priortize

I found this online and I LOVE it!!!

Our journey in life defines exactly who we are. Prioritize your life. Your thoughts are powerful. Create a mental picture of exactly what you want in life. Use this as your "roadmap." Now you can sit down, and create a list of your priorities. Take your time with this. Decide what you can really control in your life. Release the rest

Happy Tuesday!!

xoxo







Monday, October 10, 2011

Day 10 - Taking Care of Me

So since I'm learning to balance....right now I'm taking care of me...so bear with me while I try to get rid of the raging headache and sore throat, and congestion!!! I had a field trip with Lily's class today, had a blast, but.....I'm all done!! Hope this "thing" I've got going on will go away soon!! Did you ever notice that when Mom's get sick, our life has to go on like normal but when Dad's get sick, their world stops?? Today..I want to be a Dad!! LOL

Better Balance posts are soon to come!!

xoxo

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Day 9 More Balance


Another quick post - I'm getting sick!! Sore throat, clogged head....UGHH!!! No time for this, I have a field trip with Lily tomorrow.

Hope you all have had a great weekend!!!

xoxo

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Day 8 - Practicing Balance!!


Today I am practicing balance with a short post. The weather is fabulous today, and I'm going to get yard work done, before the snow flies here in Michigan. You never know when that is going to happen around here...I've actually raked leaves here before while it was snowing!!

Happy Saturday!!!

xoxo

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Day 7 - Eat together

Sit down together and have at least one meal a day together.

I'll admit, we don't do this. We eat dinner in the living room in front of the tv. Yes, we have a kitchen table, but we surely don't eat at it. We should be eating dinner at the table every night!! Our schedules are crazy sure, but that is the one meal that is most consistent for us. On the nights that Rob has school, Lil and I should be sitting down together. The more I type this, the more I'm thinking about what we miss out on by not sitting down together for dinner. That would be a perfect time to hear about the happenings in each of our days, what's going on the next day, and to listen to one of Lil's crazy stories!

Do you sit down as a family for meals? If you don't, why not?

xoxo

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Day 6 - Play Time

When we allow our "play time" to dwindle down to almost nothing, we may notice that our relationships begin to suffer! Take time out to play!

Read with your child, cuddle your baby, build with blocks, play board games, play tag, watch a favorite movie, go for a bike ride, take your teen to dinner and just chat. Just be there, be all there!!! Show your family with one on one time how important they are to you!!

I love this photo from last winter of Lily, Toby (the dog) and her Daddy playing!!

xoxo

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Day 5 - Flexibility

To maintain your levels of happiness in your life, no matter what happens in your day, be flexible. Don't be a perfectionist and do try to be adaptable in your expectations of yourself and events around you.

Do you ever have those days when everything is going good, and one little (usually ridiculous) thing just sets you off and changes your whole day?? If you are like me, I have a mental photo of how things should be, and when they aren't or they don't measure up, I get annoyed!! Of course, most of those things are completely out of my control so why do I let them get me so worked up??

I'm usually pretty flexible, until it comes to my own life, or the things that REALLY matter to me. But I really need to work on being flexible ALL the time!! It's not even the big things I need to be more flexible about...it's the little things. I found this on the internet, and I love it:

When you have a flexible mind set you're able to deal with crises and problems much more easily because your not working against a preconceived notion of how things "should be". You're able to tap into your creative problem solving skills and move through challenges without all the drama and frustration. Be like the tree that bends with the breeze - and you're much less likely to break

I bet my life would be more Balanced if learned to be more flexible!! Here's to being like a tree!!
xoxo

(to check out all of the other 31 dayers, just click on my Finding Balance button on the right hand side)

Monday, October 3, 2011

Day 4 - Self Care


You can't take care of others if you don't take care of yourself - Mary Mazzer

I'm telling you, I should post this quote all over my house!! I think I NEED this to smack me in the face, everyday, all day!!! Of course, it all makes sense....get enough sleep, eat right, exercise, speak kindly to yourself. Why is it that I can't follow through with these things??

First off, my sleep habits are terrible. Here's what it looks like : Mon-Fri I go to bed somewhere between 11 and midnight or later (usually the midnight side of things), I'm up between 6 and 6:30. No wonder I'm tired all the time!!! I go to bed even later on the weekends and sleep in for as long as I can. Really....so not good!!!!

Eat right.....not so much, Exercise.....not so much!!!!
The only thing I'm decent about is speaking kindly to myself. I like who I am!! Of course on the outside, there is huge room for improvement, but I'm bound to get there too!!

So....I am going to make that quote pretty and print it out to place around my house! I WILL read it and be reminded!!!

Don't forget to take care of you!!!

xoxo

Day 3 of Finding Balance - Quiet Time

Problems arise in that one has to find a balance between what people need from you and what you need for yourself - Jessye Norman
First things first....family night DID NOT happen here tonight. The princess was in her room cleaning it for 3 hours, then it was bedtime. She knows that she missed out a night of games, and her heart was broken!! She came out of her room crying and walks up to me and says, "I'm so sorry Mommy" I asked her why she was sorry, and through the tears and crying she said "for ruining our fun night." Oh lord, I really, and I mean really wanted to cave!!! I gave her a hug and said we will have to try again, and that maybe when Mommy says to clean up your room you should get it done, and not play for 3 hours!! Hopefully she learned a lesson, and we won't miss out again!!!
So in doing some reading on balancing your life, one of the things I continue to read is to find some time for yourself- quiet time. We tend to give so much of ourselves, wearing so many hats, we forget about us! I do get me time, but I would not call it quiet time. I have time to hang out with my girlfriends, with my mom and sister, and time with the hubby and our friends too. I guess I wouldn't call it quiet time. I really don't have any excuses now, Lily is in school all day and I have two days a week off of work. I WILL have quiet time, a day for me to read, scrap, stamp, anything that is just for me!!
Here's to wishing us all a little quiet time!!!
xoxo

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Day 2 of Finding Balance

(bad photo from my phone this am before we headed off to cheer)

And there is my reason for needing to find BALANCE. If I can find BALANCE in this crazy life of mine, I'm sure to be a better Mommy! I'll have more quality time to spend with the princess and her Daddy. Not that we don't spend time together now, but is it really quality time?? That is the big question. I am a firm believer that it doesn't take money or big plans or expensive things to have quality time together.

So the big question is where do I begin on this journey of finding BALANCE??
I think the first step to finding BALANCE in my life is going to be to set aside a family night. A night with no tv, no video games...just "us" time. A night that we can play games, go for a walk, go for a bike ride,read together...something that will get us to slow down and just be together, enjoying each other.

I really believe that it's the little things that make the best memories! I know when I was a child, it was the hanging out together with my parents and my sister that we still talk about, that we still remember!! We remember hanging out at the beach, playing baseball in the street, just hoping in the car to go for a drive.... Those are the things that I want Lily to remember, those are the things I want us to be talking about 30 years from now!

Somehow my parents always made it look so easy...I know now, as an adult, that it wasn't easy!! Those are the memories that I want Lily to have, I want her to think we made it look easy!!! If we keep going at the pace we are now...I honestly don't know if that will happen.....hence......FINDING BALANCE.

So...day 2 of finding BALANCE is starting family night, once a week. Our family night will be Sunday evenings from dinner until Lily's bedtime at 8pm. I'm actually really excited about this!!
Do you all have a family night?? What are some things that you do on family nights?

Don't forget to check out all of the other 31 dayers over at Nesting Place!

xoxo