happy 2014!

I decided to take a bit of a break from the blog for the holidays so that I could travel without worry, celebrate without a to-do list, and spend lots of time with the people I love.  And that I did!   Now, we're finally back in Michigan, getting settled at home, and enjoying the frigid temps and piles and piles of snow.  And I just turned my computer on for the first time since we've been home, oh, just about two hours ago.

The break gave me time to reflect on my year of blogging.  It was just a year ago, about this time, that I decided to make the resolution to blog consistently for the remainder of the year.  At times, the task was challenging - when life removed me from the comforts and conveniences of my own home, when I was sick, or worse, Ella was sick, when we traveled, or just got busy as often was the case.  At first, I let the little hiccups really bother me - I was afraid that by missing a day at first, and then two days, or an entire week, would mean that I had failed to accomplish my resolution.  But each time, I re-grouped, found something to write about that truly reflected my life at that moment, and I pressed on.  I gave myself a break.  I'm not sure I've ever really, consciously, done that for myself - just gave myself a break.  It took effort and being truly present and aware of the little voices in my head, but I did it.  And I learned so much, about myself and about setting goals, in the process.  That was definitely the best gift of 2013!

So, as we head into 2014, I am determined to continue what I've started here, whatever that is.  And because I know that change is a coming this year in a big way for our little family, I resolve to let it happen with gratitude, patience, and awareness that change is really what life is all about.

Happy 2014 friends!

this weekend: striving for balance

As the weather continues to warm and we move more and more of our life outside, my ability to set aside time for blogging has become exceedingly difficult.  I find myself hoping for a rainy day just so I can sit in my workroom and not feel guilty that  I am wasting the warmth and beauty of a beautiful spring day, especially after such a long, frigid winter.  I suppose this is what I used to feel when I worked full-time and didn't have the option to ignore work and head outside (unless of course I was lucky enough to have scheduled a site visit that day).

And I look ahead to the weeks and months to come . . . my shoulders droop and I begin to slouch into my chair, realizing all of the things I need/will need to do that, up until now, I have conveniently neglected to add to my to-do list.  The biggest task, of which, will be moving and settling our little family in Cleveland for my husband's summer job that begins in exactly two weeks.

I love blogging (and all of the opportunities it has opened up for me) and it's been so good for my spirit.  But trying to find a good balance between blogging, freelance design projects, raising our daughter, being a wife, maintaining a home, and enjoying all of my other hobbies is an ongoing challenge.  With all of these things to do, it doesn't take much to throw me off kilter these days.

Striving for balance is difficult, in and of itself, but just as my daughter changes and grows day to day, so too does our life as family, and it can completely throw whatever schedule or routine or semblance of achieved balance into a complete spiral.  New challenges and opportunities pop up and what would life be for if not for embracing these events and finding the best (and most fun) ways to navigate into and through them.

So, it's time to reevaluate and perhaps, set a more realistic goal for this blog for the summertime so that 1) I don't become discouraged and stop writing altogether, and 2) so that I can take full advantage of this summer with my family in a new place.  Daily posts are probably not going to happen, but I'm going to strive to document this little summer adventure as best I can and will continue posting on some of the design work I've already begun and projects currently in progress.  I hope you'll stick with me for what I am sure will be a great summer!

inspiring ladies

Source: facebook.com via Traci on Pinterest

For a little over a month now I have been working it out in the mornings with a very amazing group of ladies.  I found Stroller Strides Ann Arbor on Facebook before moving here in July of 2011 while contemplating what the heck I was going to do as a stay-at-home mom (I never really thought I'd find myself in this role) and how I was going to manage losing all of the baby weight with, well, a baby.  It took me a long time to actually attend a class, but once I did I was hooked.  I remember saying to one of the ladies during a class that it was the workout that got me to the class, but the promise of great friendships that kept me coming back.  I feel so lucky now to have met all of these ladies and, if I had regrets, waiting so long to get to a class would certainly be one of them.

Today one of the ladies asked me what the motivation was behind starting my blog.  It's had me thinking all morning.  When I had a baby, left my job, and moved my life to Ann Arbor, I began to feel incredibly lost.  All of these amazing things were finally happening in my life, but they all also required me to abandon a place in my life that I had worked very hard to get to (at least that was how I felt about everything as the post-pregnancy hormones surged through my body).  But as a new wife and mom, I felt a deep desire and need to support and take care of my little family as we entered this new phase of our lives.  My husband was getting ready to start law school and I wanted to make sure he had everything he needed from me to do well and devote as much time to his coursework as needed.  And Ella, she was just two months old when we arrived and I wanted to do everything right for her: nurse her for a year, make all of her baby food, sign her up for classes, make sure she had plenty of time to socialize with other babies, keep her on a good routine and as healthy as possible.  All of these desires, I think, are perfectly normal for any mom and wife.  But being consumed by them began to separate me from myself.  I was trying so hard to pour myself into my new roles, treating them as I often did my previous job, that I left myself little to no time to take care of me.

I owe it to my daughter to take the time to take care of me.  To take care of ALL the parts of me;  to make sure I'm physically healthy so I can teach her good habits and be around for as long as I can, and emotionally healthy so I can engage with her and truly enjoy my time with her, thereby teaching her to enjoy the world and people around her.  Finally getting myself to Stroller Strides has definitely helped encourage good physical health.  Starting this blog has done wonders for the later.

And rather than focusing on being perfect (I am a perfectionist to a fault), I am forcing myself (finally) to just enjoy the journey of it all.

Check out these blogs by a few of these very inspiring stroller striding ladies:

Chez Napier
Paper Hat Gal
Stroller Strides Ann Arbor

We may not be professional bloggers, but we are sharing what we love and there isn't anything much better than that.