Week 5 | This Week's Love Notes
Week 5 | This Week's Love Notes
This week we wrapped up January, the first month of 2020. It seems to be a general consensus that it was a “tough year” and the more I delve into understanding astrology, it seems this was written in the stars and it’s why we’ve felt it as a collective.
As I did my monthly review that’s a part of my Sunday planning at the end of each month, I found that while January was very emotionally heavy and offered a lot of challenges, my month was absolutely phenomenal, and here’s why:
I committed to a morning and evening routine every single dang day.
My evening routine has been getting ready for bed when the kids do, making tea and taking it to my room by 8, filling out my moon journal, writing down 3 things I was grateful for that day, filling my diffuser with an emotionally supportive oil (my favorites are Sacred Mountain, Release & Sacred Frank, Stress Away & PCII… want to get started with oils? Head over here). I then usually read a bit and then fall asleep listening to a sleep meditation on Insight Timer. My husband has followed suit in this new routine and it’s been incredibly bonding.
My morning routine has been getting up about an hour before the kids. Drinking my coffee and looking off into the fire (yes this is meditation!), reading my Brave book, journaling and then a guided meditation on Insight Timer.
Meal planning and being diligent about eating good food all day.
Drinking more water every day.
Taking my vitamins daily.
Having a structured plan (masculine energy) and each day really listening to my intuition and going with the flow of what my body is asking for (feminine energy).
Being intentional about spending quality time with my husband and kids.
Taking pictures every single day which help me tap into my creativity which I fully believe is how we connect to our intuition with more ease.
Delved into my writing practice. My book is such a labor of love and I’m so eager to see it in print and in your hands!
In this month, I have shown myself how capable I am and how in control I am of the things I can control… so often we don’t realize or surrender these parts of us to our ego allowing things to spiral. It’s not to say that I’ve conquered the natural ebb and flow of life, but it was another month, another rung in the ladder, that I have learned so much about myself and have felt the growth and the awareness expand even further.
This week, the last week of January, gave me so much love and gratitude for my family and the mundane moments and beauty in each day that we so often miss.
27/366: It was 14 years ago on this day that I met him on a blind date. To live a love story like this is one I only dreamt of and here I am. In the messiness of life, the dirty kitchen, yoga pants, messy bun and dirty dishes, he walks up to me and breaths me in. He takes me in like it’s the first time and the last time. I adore this man and how much he love he has.
028/366: I don’t spend nearly enough time in my office. It is a space filled with magic from the light, the crystals and the warmth even on the cold winter days. It’s just that it’s no contest for sitting in front of the fire in the living room, ha!
029/366: It’s bittersweet dropping them off for the school day. Seeing them walk off into the building where so much of who they will become is dependent on their experiences. I feel a sadness watching them go along with a deep breath of looking forward to stillness and being able to focus on myself, my work or whatever I choose. And like clockwork, literally, as 3:00pm approaches, I can’t wait to go get them. I love to see how much energy they have leaving that building, their smiles and stories; it’s one of the best parts of the day.
30/366: Every morning at about 7:50am, I run out to my car to start it, warming it up for our short ride to school. At the end of January, we are all so eager and ready for spring to begin; it’s the dead of winter. As I continue my own personal work, I have found that I am not so easily falling into those negative thought loops. It’s as if I instinctively want to think, “Ugh it’s so cold! I want spring.” And as I being to think it, I realize I don’t feel it. I feel the cold air hit my face and think, “Gosh that feels good.” And as I go to my car I see the most beautiful frozen droplets of frost stuck to every surface around me. As I stop to admire them I see the beautiful sun beginning to rise, soon to be melting away these fleeting speckles of beauty. And then I take this moment and in and embrace what my gratitude practice has done; it’s rewired my brain to truly feel gratitude in so many unexpected moments in the day.
31/366: He was so excited to go to Family Fun Night. We walked in, it was jam packed, no rhythm, no pattern, just movement and a lot of noise. He was frozen and in his stillness he felt frustration. He felt the contrast of knowing that he wanted to engage in all of the things the other kids were doing, yet he as completely overstimulated and his nervous system wanted to shut down. It manifested in crying, clenching his teeth, whining, crying some more. I could feel my husband and I beginning to match his frustration. When I said, “If you’re not having fun, we can just go home.” And he fell apart even more. It was then that I removed my frustration and found compassion. In a dark, quiet stairwell, we sat and breathed, we slowed our heart rates and grounded. At 5 years old, he was able to articulate that he wanted to try some of the games and things, but that he was terrified, and he felt confused. His brain was telling him to do it and his body was saying it was scared. So with some encouragement, I took a gamble at the roulette game and with Jesus by my side won him this little dog. With each moment, he found the courage to try another thing. And while he continued to be overwhelmed, he did it. He showed his body that it was safe and he could do scary things and do them on his own terms. This boy teaches me some powerful stuff.
32/366: It was a lazy Saturday with the overcast skies and raw 40 degree air. As we all hung out at home, we almost felt a lack of direction. My husband and I, wanting to do projects and tackle to-do lists but feeling unfocused (turns out this was in the astrological forecast!), we asked the kids what was one thing they’d want to do and they both asked to walk to the playground behind our house. So, an hour before the sun went down, we bundled up and walked through our neighbors backyards to get to our sweet little township park. These two are best friends; being able to watch them run and play while my husband stood and watched, well, this is what family days are made of.