Sister, I'm a poet.

On this life path/spiritual journey I am on, I have noticed that many of my instincts as a young girl were spot on. I naturally gave myself time to be immersed in things that fed my soul. As I grew older I convinced myself it was indulgent to sit in nature, read poems or listen to music. Where did I get that concept? Was it self-imposed, or just a cultural norm? Unless we are driving toward a goal or making money many of us see our time as wasted. What about contemplation?   I realize now that it's absolutely mandatory.

Svadhyaya - self-study.  Connecting to what inspires you.

Wow! Blow my brain up into multi-colored glitter.  This is a thing? Not only is this a thing, it is encouraged? Part of the practice? The art of staying inspired?

Rolf Gates (my life guru) writes, "...you must stay connected to your own sources of inspiration." Really, Rolf? Where have you been all my life? Permission to connect to energy I find healing and inspiring???? Sad that I needed his book to grant me this necessity, which I had always mistakenly considered a luxury.

It is necessary to wrap my being up in the: writers, poets, songs, books, movies, and art that inspire me.

I'm not as awesome as Rolf.  (He is so beyond awesome.) I do feel like giving everyone I know permission to be who they already are.  Rolf sprinkled magic dust over my being with those words.



For more of his amazing insight: Rolf Gates

"I'm as BOLD as love." -Jimi Hendrix

Me Time?????!!!!!! Whaaaaaaat???????

Well, Multiplicity Magazine came out yesterday and I suggested to thousands of readers that they take more time for themselves.

Cue folks coming to my blog to see that I haven't written in a month.  Did I say anything about bringing an IPAD to the spa?

I am blogging to you right now sitting on the floor of my twin's room surrounded by laundry. Thank God there are professionals outside cleaning up and mowing my lawn.  Spring has finally come to my frosty corner of the world.  I'm attempting to spring clean.  Important things like watching items on eBay keep getting in my way.  Who are these deranged Batman-like villains who insist on bidding on the same antique cardigan clips that I do????!!!!! Thieves! If I don't watch them they will steal my treasures.

So, how am I doing in my challenge? Pretty well! I am eating super healthy & drinking my smoothies.  I joined yoga. I actually read a book! *Audible gasps from readers*. More about that gem of literature soon.

Here.s my new challenge:

WRITE.

I want to say once a day, something other than a grocery list or a tweet.  I'm going to be realistic though and say at least once a week.  Every other day as I progress, and then daily.  Something.  Even if it's just to say: I AM MOMMY, THEREFORE I AM.

If you found me via my multiplicity article thank you so much for stopping by.  I wish I could hug all the MOMs in the universe.  Where are you from? How are you? Leave me a note.  Say hi.  Tell me to take my own advice! Nice to meet you.

Ok, off to fold laundry....

Warrior Mommy

Get ready to be super proud of me. Ready? I JOINED A YOGA CLASS!!!! Ok, so I missed the first two, but I went to the next two and I flat out LOVE it. It was not easy to get there & if it wasn't for my family helping me with the twins, I would have never made it.

I must tell you, if you are a mother of multiples they should issue you a yoga class in the maternity ward. If you are a special needs mama, or the mother of a critically ill child, a class should be mandatory and paid for by the government. (& I'm a fiscal conservative. I think.  I'm not 100% sure. I did grow up in the 80s.)

Yoga is good for your body and also quiets the mind.  I've practiced Pilates since I was 5 months pregnant and would never give that up. Yoga feeds a different place in our souls that needs rejuvenation. It helps to bring calm.  We warrior Moms are in a whirlwind. Calm is difficult to find. Let someone help you with this. DVDs etc are great if you cannot get a sitter.  Start at a beginner level so you enjoy it!

If there is one thing I've learned through the years, it is never to doubt the wisdom of Sting.

Namaste.

It's Not Easy drinking Green

I'm usually the last person to join a bandwagon. The green smoothie craze came to me (pardon the pun) very organically. It came to my attention that I needed to increase my vitamin B intake. I would suggest to everyone to have some current blood work done. There are so many vitamins that even healthy people are lacking in.

Also, mothers of multiples in particular should have their homocysteine levels checked. Your doctor will try to talk you out of it. Don't let him/her. Also, they will tell you levels above 7 are fine. They are not. The "averages" they speak to you about are created by comparing you to all kinds of people of various ages and weight. That's just misleading. Ask for the homocysteine levels on the cardiac panel. Your doctor won't ask you to have this test until you are already presenting symptoms or have your first heart attack. If you are feeling extremely lethargic this could be a sign of elevated homocysteine. Don't just convince yourself that it's normal to be tired.

Its important to note that coffee raises homocysteine levels. The vicious circle is, the more coffee you drink the more tired you will become.

We did invest in a vitamix. They are very expensive, but I can not gush enough about mine. It makes smoothie making a breeze. There are also so many other wonderful things you can make. Mine even has the hot soup option. It's divine!

There are so many recipes out there. You can customize your smoothies to your needs. Green veggies are my go to for Vitamin B. I like to load up on High C fruits during cold and flu season. You can also make protein into your smoothie with protein powders or nut butters. Agave, Stevia, and Raw Honey are my favorite sweeteners. When choosing or creating recipes one must be mindful of sugar & calories. I'm all about aesthetics, but I want my smoothie to deliver the most nutrition possible.

Using a vitamix to create smoothies really has been a sustainable way for me to get more fruits and veggies into my family's diet. We eat 100% organic. Often certain fruits & veggies are not available so freezing some in season and buying frozen organic are the ways I make sure I have variety during all seasons.

My twins love their smoothies. I use scrumptious coconut milk & coconut yogurt to make theirs extra yummy & sweet. I love making my hubby smoothies. He is so super busy that it's a great way for him to drink his fruits & veggies on the go!

Cheers!!

Time for a Little Gaelic Culture

14 Days Until Saint Patrick's Day!!!!

The Time Bandit

My latest endeavor is an article for Multiplicity Magazine on Mommy Rejuvenation.  Let's see if I can follow my own advice, shall we?

I've asked our readers to take care of themselves.  I can hear the cries of, "THERE ISN'T TIME!"

I don't know if in the space of my article I have expressed enough empathy to our readers.  It's almost like a science fiction movie.  Where is the time going?  My "babies" are now five.  I still rarely pee alone.  The days fly by. 

I've challenged our readers to find time.  I must accept this challenge myself!  First off, I haven't even updated this blog or included the snazzy button they gave me AGES ago.  (There wasn't time.)  Many of my friends & family haven't even read the articles I've written.  I don't even share the ones I haven't gotten a byline for.  Multiplicity is always kind enough to give us writers a byline and they allow us in some cases to link our blogs to them.  Thank you, Multiplicity.  I've finally TAKEN THE TIME to actually do that. 

In this science fiction scenario I am now the brave female protagonist (since this is fiction let's pretend I also now have no wrinkles) who will make time bend to her will.

My goal is that by Mother's Day I will be able to say that I have developed some new, sustainable improvements in my well-being.

Burning Like A Flame

This blog is for Fur Baby Mommas too! I was thinking of you when I chose today's post. Some of the best parents I know have fur children. I was a Fur Momma first and our Boston Terrier is still my spoiled little boy. Some of my friends are the most amazing parents to their dogs and cats. They are so devoted and spend time, money, and untold energy making their homes safe for their "children".

In our house we have three toddlers: two darling little girls and their Boston Terrier brother. In an effort to keep all three of them safe I had to make the switch to flameless candles. I absolutely love candlelight. A room, or dining table, becomes so inviting when illuminated in that soft glow.

Candles+kids+pets= not such a good idea. So I was thrilled to buy some flameless candles. There are a lot on the market. My purchases have been from CandleImpressions and I got them through QVC.

These gems are battery operated. They flicker, mimicking real candle-light perfectly. They even smell like candles! I love that they have a timing feature. I have mine set to come on at dusk and they stay on for 5 hours and then they shut themselves off. FABULOUS! I do not have time for on/off switches! I'm wrangling toddlers over here! Once the children go to bed sometimes I cannot get off the couch, so it's a true joy to look over at my mantle and see it all aglow.

These are so realistic that I got scolded by my mother for doing something so dangerous! My candles interspersed with garland for the holidays looked like a gorgeous fire hazard.

I use these daily and the batteries last quite awhile. Shine on, Mommas!