Find a Moment's Peace
Come and learn ways to incorporate yoga into your child’s life
Learn fun and easy ideas to share with your child. This Yoga for Mother and Child class will show you how to encourage the practice of yoga within the holistic framework of healthy living for the whole family.
I believe serendipitous events guide us in going with the flow, creating ease with life, helping us find our way.
A few months ago I crossed paths with someone who made me think, “Wow, I am so blessed to have met her.” My new friend Karen is one of those people, and I do believe our meeting was serendipitous.
We literally bumped into each other entering the door to our mutual publisher’s office, Bright Sky Press. We were introduced and I instantly liked her. I asked to see Karen’s portfolio– it was stunning. The next day I phoned Karen and asked if she would be a contributing photographer for my book series–and to my delight she agreed. For me, this chance meeting created an effortless ease and a beautiful dimension to my project that could have easily gone unnoticed.
Check out Karen’s blog, including the post Creating Everyday Peace including some photos she took at my home yesterday for my upcoming books.
In one of my new books to be released Spring 2010, A Moment’s Peace I talk about serendipity and how to utilize it in your life. Think about some of your own serendipitous events? I encourage you to use these occurrences as signposts to guide you in creating a life you love. Who knows how many I have let slip away?
Two roads diverged in a wood–I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”
Robert Frost
Last night my son, husband and I watched a movie about the largest rescue of POW’s towards the end of WWII. The film made me stop and think of how I take my everyday freedom for granted.
Today, in celebration of America’s “Land of the Free,” I am grateful for my liberty. The choice to pursue happiness. The privilege to be an American.
In 1776 John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail that July 4 should be marked with “illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forevermore.”
As a mother, one of my favorites quotes: Ask not what your country can do for you–but what you can do for your country – JFK, can apply to our everyday life through simple yet powerful actions. Here’s some ideas to put into practice with your family…
* Politics and world events. Discuss age-appropriate topics with your children. Meal time can be a great opportunity to open a discussion.
* Recycle. My children love to recycle. I watched my parents recycle and followed along- now mine join in with me. Generations of recycling begin with collecting that first aluminum can or day-old newspaper.
* Community service. Something as simple as learning to lend a hand. Look for opportunities to give back. Perhaps its as simple as collecting your neighbor’s vacation mail or walking their dog. Kids really do love to help, sometimes they just need a gentle nudge to get them started.
Join me on this special day dedicated to celebrating independence. Give thanks, lead your family in even the smallest contributing step to our country and go out and enjoy your freedom.
I have this belief… whatever we do, wherever we go, whoever we are with– we are “all in this together”. Collectively supporting each other. Maybe it’s just a friendly smile, an encouraging comment or perhaps lending a helping hand.
Look to new and bright ideas each day. Who knows which one will strike a chord with you. Following are a few of my latest favorite books for mothers, just in time for a Mother’s Day treat to Y-O-U.
Double Daring Book for Girls by Miriam Peskowitz and Andi Buchanan. The original was a blockbuster, and this one looks equally brilliant! What a great summer companion.
The authors mix inspiring tales of girls who made good … with a scrap bag of how-tos for girlish activities … The Daring Book for Girls keeps … practical knowledge from getting drowned in the techno-flow.
—The New York Times
Listen in to a recent podcast with Miriam and I chatting about learning new things and leading an interesting life!
Everyone Is Beautiful By Katherine Center. I love this girl. She is a truly gifted writer– and she is as much fun in “real life’ as the voice in her novels…
Any novel that starts with “The day I decided to change my life, I was wearing sweatpants” is bound to catch the sympathetic attention of women looking for stories of self-improvement on physical and emotional levels. This is a breezy read that glows, in part, because its characters bask in the sunny side of life.” -USA Today
Mojo Mom: Nurturing Your Self While Raising Your Family by Amy Tiemann.
This “missing manual to motherhood” will help you rediscover who you are, and how you can continue to share your talents with the world, even as you juggle the demands of family life.
Listen in to the recent podcast with Amy and I talking about Mojo!
The Mothers Guide To Self Renewal by Renee Trudeau
Renee invites you to explore how you can begin to live from the inside out. She is offering a FREE Mother’s Day book download offer. Check it out!
Happy Mother’s Day.
Last week Oprah shared her weight struggle story with millions. She said, “I let the well run dry. That’s what happened when I started to get unbalanced, when I started to not take time for myself, when I started to go unconscious.”
When Oprah gains weight, she says it means her life is out of balance. “It’s not about the food. It’s about using food—abusing food,” she says. “Too much work. Not enough play. Not enough time to come down. Not enough time to really relax.”
Recall the memory of a childhood afternoon…simple, carefree, and with no concept of the meaning of time – perhaps riding your bike, lying in the backyard making a clover daisy-chain, or lost in a make-believe world of fort building or playing dress-up. Remember how naturally relaxed you felt? Take this memory and notice how you feel right now. Does just the thought of those relaxed times begin to make you feel more at ease?
Lose track of time
When you spend time doing something you really enjoy, you tend to lose track of time on the clock. Spending time in this way moves you into a detached space from your day-to-day situations or issues. In this free place, you can be at your best, and feel happy for no real reason except that you are enjoying whatever activity you are presently focused on. Remember the child-like feeling of creating fun, simple and effortless? This same type of feeling brings a powerful punch to addressing your current-day stress and health problems.
Read on at Health Central
My children always want to give to the people on the street, especially at this time of year. When we learned about the idea called “bags of hope,” we joined in with loads of enthusiasm, preparing food items and a note with a prayer of hope packaged together for the next homeless person we would see on the street.
Offering a bag of hope
Handing a bag to a grateful-looking person, we attentively watched as he reached into the bag. He pulled out the note before the food. His cold stiff fingers carefully and gently unfolded the paper. He quickly read the words written by my daughter, Sarah. They said, “Don’t give up. God put each of us here for a reason and don’t waste it. My prayers are with you.”
Read on at healthcentral.com
Today I got the opportunity to chat on the radio with my friend and celebrity chef, Domenica Catelli. We talked about ideas to create healthy eating into our lifestyle. One of the main messages I took away from today’s show-If we as mothers can eat more healthy, we can teach our kids in the process.
Domenica’s top three tips for creating healthy eating habits:
Domenica and I went on to discuss some easy and fun recipes from her inspiring book Mom-a-licious. Listen in to the August 19th show, Creating Healthy Balance Everyday which includes Domenica’s tips and my weekly guided relaxation. You can tune into the show through your computer’s speakers or download it to your mp3 or ipod to listen in later. After listening to Domenica, I am inspired to get in my kitchen and make some healthy snacks for my kids after school!
When Mom Central invited me to blog for Disney Records Music Block Party, I couldn’t resist. New music from Disney-spells out moving and grooving summertime fun. Even though my teenage children are past this generation of music – for me, Disney music will always be a classic. These CD’s brought back lots of fun memories as we listened one evening while cleaning up kitchen. Disney get’s it right with this NEW compilation of old classics performed by hip preschool artists. Check it out-Walt Disney Records: Ralph’s World, Imagination Movers, Choo Choo Soul and They Might Be Giants
Leave it to Disney to figure out a way to enjoy your old favorites in a new way. No matter what your age- put on some tunes and get grooving.
Rock Star wanna-be
“Hit me with your best shot…” Listening to the Pat Benatar music coming from the surround sound of speakers, and focusing on the guitar-player cues coming across the television screen—I was hooked. In a matter of minutes, I was completely absorbed in the coordination and placement of each of my fingers in synchronicity with the green, red and yellow cues on the animated guitar image of my son’s new Guitar Hero 3 game.
Game Stop blog tour
When I was invited to participate in a Game Stop/Mom Central blog tour, I knew my son would be happy. Sam would receive a gift card to Game Stop (his favorite game store) and asked to choose a new game, if his mom would blog about it. But I had no idea that I was about to have just as much fun as Sam.
Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock
Sam selected Guitar Hero 3, which turns out to be my new favorite game, too! Sam’s real-life guitar sits in the corner of his room with about an inch of dust on it, while his virtual guitar is getting plenty of airtime. Sam patiently watched me as I happily fumbled through Barracuda, Sunshine of Your Love and Hit Me with Your Best Shot, all the while oblivious to my own lack of ability.
When Sam finally got his chance to “show me how it’s done,” his fingers rhythmically glided across the neck of the guitar, while he moved in an effortless flow to the music. He looked like a bonafide 13-year-old rock star. Summertime fun—for us all.
