flashback grocery haul

This post was first written and posted to my original blog, Which Name?, on November 2, 2010. Even the photo is old! I am re-posting it here, because I was looking for something else on my old blog and came across this post, having forgotten that I ever wrote it. I have been enjoying following other frugal families on Instagram, seeing video reels of their grocery hauls, and budgeting, but I don't currently want to create videos for IG. My kiddos were dinky when I wrote this, so our food consumption has changed, Lala Bug's sensory differences around food and her ARFID were not so pronounced at this time, but what really stood out to me was how much explaining and justifying I felt like I had to do. I notice this happening, still (but on IG) with younger families. With age comes experience and comfort in what works differently for each of us. Progress, not perfection.

 

So with limited photo distraction, here is my text heavy October frugal foodie summary.

This month, I spent $435.51 on groceries. For where that money went and why, see below. I should note that "groceries" for me shifts and changes. For this post, I limited it to food and pet food/supplies (chickens), since they provide food. In the past, it has included health & body, cleaning supplies, and anything related to our household that I might also buy at the grocery store.

I also want to note that this was probably the worst month to choose to track in this way, as it was my first full month of going gluten free. Where I shop, what I need, and how much of each item has changed so drastically for me, that this probably isn't the best guide to us and food, although our spending did come out about the same in the end. I have learned a few lessons of what not to buy or where not to buy it this month and have been updating my price list again.

How we shop and eat and where we live affects our grocery spending:

• This is key: We live in an area of the country with a climate that sustains fresh food all year round. In fact, it is an area that grows much of the fresh food that rest of the country eats when winter sets in in colder regions. And it is all local to me. This means it is less expensive for me in general and less expensive for us to eat sustainably. (Yet, do note that I obviously still find it difficult shop 100% sustainably! We don't.)
  
• We eat primarily vegetarian. I am vegetarian (dairy and seafood eating). Mike and the kids aren't, however because I shop and am the main cook, we eat little meat. The kids don't really like it, despite it being offered occasionally. This cuts costs hugely. When I do buy chicken or beef, I try and buy good, organic portions now. That said, good seafood can be costly, despite living by the ocean. We do not live in a fishing area, so most seafood is not local.
• We eat a variety of items, but we have our staples, too. We eat a varied diet and where we live, many fresh foods are available year round. We take advantage of this, however we have our favorite recipes and seem to go in cycles of what we eat a lot of for awhile, before moving on to the next cycle. October was clearly quick bread and hummus month! (See below.)
  
• We cook a lot from scratch. I haven't even been buying the gluten free (GF) baking mix flours, I have been experimenting with scratch versions. We buy and cook dry beans. We make a lot (most) foods ourselves. This includes yogurt, hummus, breads, treats, salad dressing, popsicles, and more.
• Although I try and shop locally and in season, I admit to regular exceptions. We maintain a Costco membership for bulk goods and other services. This pays for itself through an annual dividend and while it is not an independent store (and I am not putting my money where I lie politically), I can purchase a wide range of local, organic items there. I shop at Trader Joe's. We accidentally ended up with an Amazon Prime membership and I am currently working out whether or not it is worth maintaining it as the most economical source for gluten free oats and other grains. I buy bananas. (I battle with myself on this bullet point. Living in the area we do, fresh, local food is available year round. I am aware that others who are not fortunate in this way, still manage 365 days of local and banana free eating.)
• We do grow a small garden, although this year, our chickens ate most of our summer garden.
• We use foods to their fullest. See links under the photo, below.
  

We use every last bit of most foods. The jack o' lanterns were carved on Halloween day, then dissected, baked, and the pumpkin pulp pureed and frozen for breads, soups, and pies. The seeds were toasted and are being eaten. We do this with veggies for broth, as well.

At first, I thought it might be helpful to record what we ate for the month, but several days into it, I quit, because I noticed a pattern. Here it is:

• Breakfasts are oatmeal or eggs and toast or granola. Oatmeal has often been served with protein powder, but will no longer be when this bag is gone. Partly cost, partly gluten, partly that I know longer think we need the extra protein in this form. F will be one sad boy. He likes his oatmeal with powder. Eggs, until recently, were store bought cage free organic. Now they are home raised eggs. Toast for the kids right now is either store bought whole grain bread or homemade gluten free. Granola is homemade gluten-free. We drink water with breakfast. Mike and I have coffee and tea, respectively. We have only recently begun adding more variation to breakfast. Banana bread, applesauce, cottage cheese, have all made appearances and been welcomed. Weekend breakfasts often boast waffles or pancakes.
• Snacks are veggies, fruits, hummus, almond butter, toast, rice crackers, etc.
• Kids. The kids still eat different dinners and lunches from us. Mostly due to timing and location (school or out and about on errands/activities). I always serve them vegetables, fruits, protein, and whole grain carb, but only recently have they begun to like some one-dish-all-food-group meals, like lasagna and some soups. Pizza is the one, long time exception to that. My kids, Lala especially, like and need to eat a little bit, often. So their meals are almost like snacks all day long. This is fine with me (although I dislike bedtime "I'm hungry!" cries), so I just try and keep what they are eating balanced and healthy throughout the day.
• Lunch is generally leftover dinners for both Mike me. I pack lunches for him to take to work.
• Dinners are always simple. Mike is the better cook (he is good and loves to cook), but I am the more frequent cook. Our "old stand by" meals always revolve around beans, which I cook in bulk and freeze in quarts. We cook and eat other things, too, though! I love salads. We live in a climate where we can eat them, in season, much of the year. (Don't hate me too much, please.) I love always to have a salad or raw veggies. (I don't really like cooked veggies just as a side dish. In things they are fine.) Sometimes Mike is home late and eats before he comes home or has eaten his lunch late and isn't hungry. I graze if this is the case. I might just eat veggies with hummus and a piece of toast. Or a bowl of granola and a cup of cottage cheese. If we are eating together, I try and a make a real meal.
  

Here is what we bought this month:

10/1
Bought: Feed Store $28.68: 50lb laying pellets, huge bale of wood shavings.

10/3
Bought: Trader Joe's $22.80: fresh flowers, 2 can frozen OJ concentrate, jar lemon curd, box popsicles, package of dried, salted seaweed, sourdough baguette, jar of peanut butter, box of eggs, 10 bananas. (Okay, I love how I started the month admitting that I bought popsicles (they were a treat for Lala), peanut butter (Lala rejects my homemade peanut butter, but we make our own almond and sunflower seed butters), OJ concentrate (we rarely drink juice, but I like to have it on hand. Concentrate works for this reason and makes great popsicles when I am not buying them as treats!) The baguette was another treat for my gluten eaters. You cannot beat San Francisco sourdough bread...I miss it! The lemond curd is my latest vice. And the bananas...a non-local food I won't give up.)

Made: GF waffles, GF pizza, GF granola, and GF sandwich bread

10/4
Bought: Costco $129.63: 4lb butter, large jar organic salsa, bag of organic milled flax, 3lb cottage cheese, California black olives, 2 gallon organic California milk, case non-alcoholic beer, 3lb organic, shade grown coffee imported by a local coffee company, 3lb trout, package flour tortillas, huge bag frozen organic blueberries, gluten free vanilla extract, 2 loaves multi grain bread.

Local produce market (where I can buy locally grown produce) $28.56 (used $3 coupon): carrots, 2 cucumbers, organic spinach, cantaloupe, decorative gourd, onion, raspberries, 2 organic bell peppers, organic grapes, beet, broccoli, organic celery, nori, and bulk sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, and popcorn.

Made: hummus

10/6
Made: a meal for a friend (whose daughter is in the hospital), a huge batch of hummus (which was gone by the 9th), and yummy GF peanut butter chocolate chip cookies (via Shivaya Naturals).

10/9
Made: honey oatmeal bread (gluten-free, recipe from 1000 Gluten Free Recipes by Carol Fenster.)

10/11
Bought: Local bulk food store $ 51.70. Guar gum, 6 vanilla beans, elbow of ginger, package sorghum flour, bulk gelatin, potato starch, corn starch, garbanzo beans, sunflower seeds,

Made: hummus, sunflower seed butter, dal, GF granola

10/12
Bought: Costco FREE (I used our annual dividend. The total was actually ~$58.80 (plus non-food items), but I am not counting it towards my total, because I do count the annual membership towards my grocery bill when we pay it and this is one of the membership rewards. I received change.) 3lb almonds, 3lb bananas, two 3lb cottage cheeses, 2 loaves bread, goat cheese, carrots, sea salt, 2 gal organic milk.

10/14
Bought: Local produce market (everything is local) $28.75. Gluten free tamari, cantaloupe, organic spinach, basil, cilantro, organic grapes, organic strawberries, organic peppers, organic fingerling potatoes, 2 cucumbers, red beet.

Made: GF pizza (version 1)

10/16:
Made: hummus (4th time?!), brown rice flour bread (in "new" free bread machine!), GF banana bread (in "new" free bread machine!)

10/17:
Made: GF pizza (version 2 - liked better)

10/18:
Bought: Trader Joe's. $30.87: 2 bottles wine, 5lb local clementines, rice cakes, OJ concentrate (We've had illnesses this month. I don't normally buy OJ, but I do like the frozen so I can keep it on hand.), cream cheese, 4 local avocados, dozen organic eggs. (Our chickens' egg production dropped when we moved them into a fenced area. They are rebelling by not laying.)

Made: GF banana bread (in machine), yogurt

10/21:
Made: GF granola, GF quick bread (in machine)

10/22:
Bought: local bulk food store $27. Tapoioca flour, brown rice flour, sliced almonds (bad move...way too expensive!), red lentils (again...way too expensive here), unshelled peanuts, white rice flour.

10/25:
Bought: Costco $80.20: organic tomato paste, organic tomato sauce, 4 gallons organic milk, 6lb mozzarella, 4 loaves healthy bread (for kids), 3lb walnuts, package wheat flour tortillas, block of pecorino romano cheese

Made: gluten free chocolate chip cookies (dangerous, those things)

10/27:
Bought: Trader Joe's and local produce market (My friend and I share shopping duties, then swap groceries...each of us goes to one store and buys for both of us, saving time and effort.) $35.88: 1.5 cups of fresh dates, 8 organic apples, 2 cucumbers, sack of spinach, 2 lb clementine oranges, 6 bananas, 1 pot of fresh basil, 2 packages of rice cakes, 2 packages of rice pasta, 1 pack wheat pasta, 2 jars peanut butter, 2 bottles of wine.

 

open 2024

 

2024 marks my 15th year of choosing a word for the year ahead. (My first word was Calm in 2010.)

Last year, I chose three words; strengthen, possibilities, and purpose. I had a hard time selecting one and I thought the three complimented each other, but that didn't work for me. I forgot my words and kept returning to older words when in meditation.

 

This year, my word is Open. I don't think it is the most exciting word, but it kept coming to me as we closed out 2023, and even a perusal through the thesaurus brought me back to Open. It is simple and I like simple. 

In 2024, I want to be Open to possibilities, growth, opportunities, growth, open spaces, bravery, and being open-minded.

This year, I have a beautiful new notebook to use, handmade by Lala Bug, complete with a handmade book cover, almost entirely from recycled materials. Something special. Wishing you well in 2024.

 

2023

Note: I wrote this on New Year's Eve morning, and that is when I am scheduling this to appear as posted, however several days have passed, and, in actuality, it is January 7 today. Since writing this, our area/state has been hit with a series of serious storms, causing significant damage and some loss of life. I don't want to be insensitive to that or to growing concerns about additional storms coming, but I am going to let this post as it was when I wrote it.

 

I am in our dim, early morning kitchen, with a soft, faux lantern on, sitting next to the window in a chair covered with a soft sheepskin (bought for me when I was about 12), listening to the sound of the rain. It is incredibly soothing. Deep in drought, it's filling my soul just a little bit, to hear the rain splatter, although we are anticipating a storm here in our area. 

We've come upon December 31st in a bit of a blink. Usually, I have been mentally toying around with and considering words for the year ahead for a couple of weeks, but this year, it has just been a couple of days. 

For 2022, my word has been Change, and it has been so appropriate. When Brown Mouse graduated from our homeschool charter, we all moved on from that community. M experienced employment change and rediscovering of self (much to the benefit of his health and our family connection). We are now book-ending high school. We experienced our first year with Biscuit dog. Mountain biking moved from something we enjoyed to a primary focus. Lala Bug said farewell (for now) to her long time dance studio. Lots of change.

For 2023, I find I can't limit myself to one word and I am having trouble choosing. Part of me wants to simply say my word for the year is Me. While I know I need to give more attention to myself in a number of ways, the word doesn't feel broad enough to embody how I want to approach the year. To start 2023, I have chosen Strengthen as my primary word. I want to strengthen my self-care, my boundaries, our rhythms, our long-term goals, my connections, etc. I know more Change is coming, though, and with the desire to Strengthen comes a need for an openness to Possibilities and I have a growing desire for Purpose. (Purpose was the first word that came to me, of these three, and I find I am resisting it, which tells me that is all the more reason to explore that a little more.) 

Choosing a word has worked for me for years now (since 2010), instead of setting resolutions. A word is a mental anchor for me. It feels simple and broad enough for those times my mind is getting away from me. I am a deep thinker and feeler, so a word (or, in this case, three words) to meditate on can help me to keep moving forward.

Wishing you all the best in 2023.

creative light less at home through a pandemic

 Beloved Hawthorn tree, which has transformed in the last 2 weeks. A flock of Cedar Waxwings cleared the remaining berries, nudging the new leaves to show themselves.

While I have had a lot of things to say and seemingly plenty of time to say them, the thoughts in me haven't been organized or fluid for months now. For this reason, I post less and less often.

Even now, I am not sure that my jumble of thoughts will be well written, but I want to get something onto the blog to mark this time in history and our lives. Our family has been socially isolating for nearly 4 weeks. Yesterday marked 3 weeks since health officials in our area (the first to do so in the country) declared shelter-in-place due to COVID-19. My thoughts now are very different from that first week.

During week 1, this whole situation felt unreal. As our movement in the world became more limited, it seemed surreal, as though it would be temporary. I wondered if the view of homeschooling might change for the better as schools closed one by one. My thoughts of that have shifted the past few weeks. I worry for the families that are trying to juggle kids at home with work-from-home jobs, kids who don't have a safe haven at home, and families who have lost jobs. I know there are teachers struggling to pull together home lesson plans (this being harder the younger the child), parents struggling to know how to bring a class teacher's lesson plan to life at home, and kids pushing back and resisting work. Now in week 4, I wonder...when we are all let back out into the world and schools reopen, if homeschoolers will be more criticized than before. And at some point I realized; No one is homeschooling right now, not even the homeschoolers. What we are doing is pandemic-schooling. Or just surviving. (I like what Carrie of The Parenting Passageway and Shawna of Different by Design Learning have to say.) The reality is that no-one has been where we are now. We are trying to find our footing while figuring out how to acquire the basics for living, get enough movement while deprived of big nature, and support each other. All while we wait for an unknown. We are a world spiking in physical, emotional, and mental health strain.
Week 1, one of my biggest emotions was guilt. Guilt that we were okay and totally soaking in the time at home. My family had desperately been needing some down time, together. M's work and commute had been nutty, and when he was home, he often had conference calls. His absence had, in all honesty, created some painful Dada rejection for one kid. The kids and I had been very busy, one kid sick in February and the other counting the weeks until spring and summer breaks. The first week home, we connected, we relaxed, we had time to be creative. We had some hard adjustments too. It turns out live-stream online classes (distance-learning) are not a good fit for one kiddo, our Internet coverage is clunky, and our house is tiny, so there is no-where for M to work. (He has a stool pulled up to the side of our bed, and as of last summer, our bedroom is a finished basement room - a through-way to the garage. He had to connect his computer to the Internet with hard wire to have a connection down there.) Work continues to be stressful, with new dimensions of intensity.

But these are first world problems. So far, he is still employed and we are still healthy, as are our families. So far. The 'not knowing' what is to come is hard. I read an article in week 2, written by a counselor to parents of high needs children. Some excellent points were made that we parents of kids with special needs are experienced with 'no knowing.' Very true. Now in week 4, I see that the reality is the whole world is on pause right now. No one knows how long any given place will need to stay home to stay healthy. There is so much worry, with health and financial worry topping the list. And while humanity struggles, Mother Earth keeps turning, the sun keeps rising, the birds are singing, the air quality is much improved, and wildlife can be seen roaming now-quiet streets. These are the beautiful things, along with health and bounty, that keep us all moving forward. Not seeing friends and the more solid understanding that kids won't resume or be reunited with classes, sports, and friends anytime soon has been hard. Sibling relationships have gone from playful to strained.

Week 1 we needed the down time. Week 4 we are needing outside-the-family time. This month has been an incredible spyglass on the balance my family needs.

A week or so ago, I was messaging with a local friend, who was feeling overwhelmed (as many of us are) and who said "I just want to go back to how it was." Deep breath. Pause. I texted back; "Me too. There is no going back. It will always be life 'before pandemic' and life 'after pandemic'." That is a huge realization to mentally own and everyone will have to do that in their own time and way. And right now, "during pandemic" feels unfamiliar, isolating, scary, never-ending, anxious, frazzled, insert-your-emotions-here.

"During pandemic" has also had its share of positive emotions; connection, love, deep gratitude, and creativity, caring, friendliness with new meaning. This time has nudged us to to return to the roots of this blog; Creative. Light. Less. When I first began blogging (on my blog titled Which Name?), most of what I wrote about was creative, frugal living. When I moved blogs and chose a new name, I stuck with that and chose a name that reflected my desire to live creatively, lightly on this Earth, and with less (stuff, baggage, etc.) During the past 5+ years, our family has drifted further away from those roots and my blogging has been spottier and more about homeschooling. At the end of 2019, I had decided that I wanted to consciously return to some of these lifestyle fundamentals. For similar and other reasons, I chose the word Light as my word for 2020. So it seems positive to me that, here we are, finding light in this time of darkness in the world, and having to live creatively and with less.  I know that it has helped us tremendously that we were prepared entering into this stay-at-home time. Our family culture being rooted in DIY made this transition easier, as did our preparedness for earthquakes and wildfires because of where we live. (I am linking to another post from Carrie of The Parenting Passageway, where she wrote about how she was preparing for an extended time at home. It is a great prep list.) This time at home has given space for recycled/upcycled craft projects, seed planting, tons more creative cooking, conscious shopping, reusable materials, creative fixes and replacements, and more consciousness to what we are using and doing.  The craze for toilet paper has me worried in only one way...someone accidentally flushing cloth wipes down the toilet. (We already had the stress of having a plumber in during week 2 because of a clog in the pipe that we couldn't clear with our home tools.)

So here we are today, sitting in gratitude for all we have and curiosity about the days ahead.

I hope my rambling, wandering thoughts find you doing whatever you can and are able to do to stay safe and healthy; physically, emotionally, and mentally, and you have a window or an outdoor space that lets you soak in a little springtime sunshine and fresh air.

Stay well.

light

I have thought a lot about how 2019 felt for me, how I want 2020 to feel, and I have thought about a lot of different words to hold in my mind and heart for 2020. 2019 was a year of a lot of change. Not the sort of change I could write about in our holiday newsletter, but changes of big and small kinds more intimate to our little family. It also held the kind of small changes that pave the way for bigger changes. I worked hard to be present through it all.

Oddly enough, I wrote part of a post about change in April, which I never posted. It is here, below.

I have been thinking about feeling behind, feeling stuck, progress, and change a lot this past year or so. 

As part of our read-aloud, we read poetry. When I read this some months ago, it held in my mind. It reminded me of the Rumi poem, A Guest House, and also of the quote by L.R. Knost (which is at the top of my homeschool planning/prepping Evernote pages). For some reason, this poem left me feeling as though the uphill climb, the sense of treading water, is normal, and there is company and care in each step.

Up-Hill

By Christina Rossetti

Does the road wind up-hill all the way?

   Yes, to the very end.

Will the day’s journey take the whole long day?

   From morn to night, my friend.

But is there for the night a resting-place?

   A roof for when the slow dark hours begin.

May not the darkness hide it from my face?

   You cannot miss that inn.

Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?

   Those who have gone before.

Then must I knock, or call when just in sight?

   They will not keep you standing at that door.

Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?

   Of labour you shall find the sum.

Will there be beds for me and all who seek?

   Yea, beds for all who come.

I think I am mentally a little resistant to choosing the word change because it feels forced and rushed and, if I am honest, I am not fully ready for some of the bigger changes that I know are inevitably coming. And so, I am mulling on change, but I am giving space around this word, this idea, and allowing my anchor word for 2020 to be something a little gentler, but equally important and certainly related and relevant in my world right now.

My word for 2020 is light. This word can apply to so many parts of my life right now, particularly as a melancholic, sentimental, deep-thinker and feeler. I look forward into 2020, a new decade, and I see a lot going on for our family, and I hope that holding this word close will help remind me to keep things simple, bright, and positive, if I am able. It was these images I had in mind, when I renamed my blog, Creative. Light. Less. several years ago. I want to move lightly on this earth, live lighter (less clutter, less spending), lighten my mood, my heart, my thinking. I imagine the light of a candle when my world feels dark, the light of a camp or hearth fire when my world feels cold.

One of the other words I considered was namaste, which I first learned to roughly mean "the good and the light in me sees and honors the good and the light in you." I think this imagery is so powerful and beautiful. There is light again. I want to pay attention to the light in others.

2019 was my 10th year of choosing a word for my head and heart. My guiding  words so far have been calm (2010), nourish (2011), hope (2012), renewal (2013), treasure (2014), joy (2015), potato (really, humor and laughter...potato was a family joke, 2016), harmony (2017), happy (with expectations and boundaries being the foundation, 2018), and present (being present in the moment and giving presents of restorative self-care to myself, 2019). 

Each of these words holds meaning and memories for me, which brings both a smile to my face and tears to my eyes.

I wish you all light, love, peace, and simplicity as we shift into a whole new decade.

restorative self-care

I have been thinking A LOT about self-care in recent weeks. The word is used a lot in the social circles I move in, but it had lost a lot of meaning for me. Self-care, self-centered, self-indulgence, and restorative self-care were all getting muddled for me and I wasn't doing any of it well.

What I am trying to focus on these days is restorative self-care. Big or little activities I am doing thoughtfully, intentionally, mindfully to care for my body, heart, and soul in a way that I enjoy and makes me feel a little restored, without guilt.

Restorative self-care is different, for me, than self-care that might include an activity that is practicing care, but doesn't feel refueling or enjoyable, such as going to the doctor. It can include treats of various kinds, but that would fall, first, into self-indulgence.

If I am missing out on space and time to practice restorative self-care, I tend to feel a self-centered lacking. This manifests, for me, in resentful words and behavior that I regret later, and more self-indulgence than self-care. I start to feel guilty, very much aware that many of my challenges are what my family calls 'first world problems,' and while that is not said to diminish the difficulties that are truly needing attention, it does help me re-establish where I have lost my boundaries and...self-care!

Here are some small ways that I am caring for myself in a restorative way (in no particular order, except sleep comes first). These are small, doable things during this season of life that has us on-the-go far too much right now. None of them take much time or money. While I am realizing some changes need to be made in our schedule (and definitely my attitude about it), I am starting with making some shifts for myself to help me manage the overwhelm I am feeling.

Restorative Self-care Activities:

• Prioritizing sleep.
• A hot shower (For some, a bubble bath. For me, a hot shower at night after the kids are in bed.)
• Setting a morning intention.
• Writing down 3+ things I am grateful for each night.
• Getting outside! Nature is the most incredible balm.
• A hot compress on my eyes (I am prone to sties under stress and this forces me to sit in a favorite chair, close my eyes, and rest for 5 minutes.)
• Meditation. (I love the free Insight Timer app. It has something for everyone.)
• Reading a "slush" book before sleep (This is a non-heady book for pleasure.)
• Exercise, even if only 20 minutes
• Yoga (I am not a "yoga person," but Yoga with Adriene for 15 minutes leaves my body feeling really good.)
• Art (I am no artist, but putting colors on paper, taking some satisfying photos, or making something with my hands in a creative ways, feels positive.)
• Hugging myself, squeezing my shoulders, and speaking positive words to myself in the mirror.
• Crying. Yes, really. When things feel overwhelming, a good cry is a huge release for me.
• Journaling. (I am a highly sensitive introvert, so getting it out helps a lot.)
• Sharing the burden...talking with my husband, close family member, or friend all help. Sometimes in sharing, I unintentionally receive help I didn't realize I needed or simply get support that helps me let go of a few worries.
• Sitting outside for a few minutes with a cup of tea.
• If I have one-on-one connection daily with each of my people, I feel calmer and less guilty about needing to carve time for myself.
• 3 deep breaths. I cannot remember where I read about these names for it, but this type of breathing is instantly calming for me. "Mint tea," "Hot cocoa," or as my daughter calls them "Lavender and Dandelion" breaths. Breathe deeply in through the nose, hold the breath, then exhale, blowing out of the mouth, as if you are smelling your drink or flower, then blowing on it to cool it or make a wish. Do this 3 times. On breath one, just focus on the breathing. One breath 2, stretch and expand your body. (We tend to get tight and contract when stressed.) On breath 3, speak an intention or single most important thing for right now. (This 3 breath focus came from an episode of the TiLT Parenting Podcast, which I highly recommend, especially if you have quirky kiddos.)
• More of what feels good to my body (water, for example) and less of what doesn't (chocolate, for example...that is a self-indulgence).

There are certainly other small things that one could do. Some people like to give themselves a mani- or pedicure, have a personal dance party, or play a game of solitaire. Do what works for you. The list above works for me and it does not include screen use of any kind, which is my preference for restorative self-care.

Be well!

April 2019

April brings the flaming weeds,

as gold bursts from California Poppy seeds. 

~Nicola

Dates of Interest:

As a family that homeschools through a charter school, this month our kids participate in various forms of testing. In addition, we technically have a spring break, so our April schedule and activities will be a little different than usual.

April is Poetry Month!

April 15: Tax Day

April 21: Easter

April 22: Earth Day


Homeschooling:

Moving out of March, we have really been in an amazing homeschooling groove. I know this will shift this month because of testing, but I am really okay with that, because I am needing a respite from the regular "to dos" of homeschooling as I really tackle (and draw the kids into) some home clear out and rearrangement tasks. While the kids are testing, I will be working on our home financial management and taxes, so this has been part of our learning conversation.

Both kids are in an online class that pairs design concepts (something they are both interested in, in different ways) and math. So far, it has been a hit.

Fifth Grader: Not too much change, although I need to bring in more science, his love.  He is using Teaching Textbooks and Key To workbooks for math and we are using games to review, although between testing and the online class, we may make little progress. We are definitely not going to finish the Teaching Textbooks lessons by year-end. We are continuing to use REWARDS to support his progress with language arts differences and using Brave Writer Arrow guides for literature and language arts.

Eight Grader: She has been working through Khan Academy and Key To workbooks for math (although we will likely cover less of these with the online class and testing). A success has been discovering she really enjoys the math more on a pad with a rubber tipped pen. She is getting a small amount of outside support for language arts and math and is also doing the Brave Writer Arrow guides with us. She blurted out the other day "We don't do enough history!" That's her love, so we will do a little more this month.

We have been narrowing down options for high school next year and I suspect will feel settled in a decision by the end of the month. At the very least, the most stressful aspects feel as though they are behind us and some very good family and one on one parent-parent and parent-child conversations have happened now.

Self-care:

My priority has been sleep and personal reading. I have done well with these, but I still haven't been sleeping all that well. While I have been less successful at consistently being up before my kids (Lala Bug rises quite early these days) and morning exercise, we have been great at getting out into nature for hikes as a family on the weekend, and this really fuels all of us. My goals this month is to take a few minutes daily to write and/or meditate to process all that has been happening and also to finish another book. (I am reading several at once.) I would also like to re-kindle the challenge of a photo a day.

Parenting:

Parenting, as always, is about connection, empathy, play, limits, listening, and love. I am working on talking less and listening more. Patience, love, and playfulness are what is needed right now with the kids, as well as encouraging loving kindness and empathy between siblings. I think mostly, M and I really need to pour some time and care into our relationship. Spouse and self can be the last to receive care when kids, homeschooling, work, commute, home repairs, etc. feel so dominant.

Home life:

We are making more progress on clearing, cleaning, organizing, and re-arranging. We have continued to have a lot of rain and have had pauses as a result. The fence is now down, we need to clear out fence debris, clean up outside, and plant new seedlings. We need to finish clearing out a room and have the flooring we selected installed. I hope we can do this by the end of the month. I have a number of items to donate or sell to make space we desperately need.

Crafting:
So much creating has been happening here, especially building and sewing! I foresee it continuing, which is lovely.

Happy April! Share what is happening in your life!

(This post was inspired by Carrie of The Parenting Passageway.)

March 2019

March brings our 'coastal snow,'

as flowers bloom and white petals blow. 

~Nicola

Dates of Interest:

March is the month dedicated to celebration of women. We will be reading extra stories of strong and unique women during read-aloud.

March 8: International Women's Day

March 17: St. Patrick's Day

March 20: Shakespeare performances day in our world

March 21: Holi

Homeschooling:

Homeschooling in a little smoother as we begin this month. We are through the application process with our oldest for high schools and are now waiting, talking, and making decisions. I had not anticipated how much stress and anxiety my girl would experience from participating in this process. Change is inevitable and hard.

For both kids we are going to shifting back into using Brave Writer Arrow or Boomerang guides paired with literature. We had taken a break while steeped in Shakespeare.

Fifth Grader: Not much has changed since last month's post! He is working on weekly homework for his Exercise Physiology class, as well as his Globe Theatre project for his Shakespeare class. He is using Teaching Textbooks and Key To workbooks for math and we are using games to review. We are continuing to use REWARDS to support his progress with language arts differences.

Eight Grader: She just completed her Shakespeare project and is working on memorizing lines so she can be an understudy for a couple of other characters, if necessary. She has been working through Khan Academy and Key To workbooks for math and she is getting a small amount of outside support for language arts and math.

Self-care:

I have been tired. My priority has been climbing into bed at a reasonable time and reading a little before sleep. There are so many other self-care things I want to be doing, and if I am honest, I feel like I deserve. If I stop and consider, there are little things I am doing...a hot shower (alone for 5 minutes of thinking and meditation), light exercise, listening to podcasts, and nature time, among others, but it is the time I have alone that is most meaningful to me. Recently, my brother came for an overnight and took the kids mountain biking for the afternoon, so M and I had a little conversation time alone together before he went for a hike and left me alone in the house. I did some clean-up, but it still felt restorative because I was by myself. I really haven't been getting this kind of time much. It is so important to know these things about oneself!

Parenting:

Parenting, as always, is about connection, empathy, play, limits, listening, and love. I am working on talking less and listening more. Brown Mouse just went away for a couple of days for special adventure time with Grandma and Nonno, leaving Lala Bug to get some special time with us. It was what everyone needed.

Home life:

We are making very slow progress on clearing, cleaning, organizing, and re-arranging, but progress in baby steps is still progress. We have had a lot of rain and we can see where we may need to pause until it is dry enough for us to haul some things outside, but also that items like roof patching and fence securing are getting bumped up on the list. M and I are working to carve out time to really connect and communicate with each other about all. the. things; kids, schooling, home, work, future, finances. We are definitely at a point where we are both feeling worn and changes are needed. I feel the winds shifting.

Crafting:
Lala Bug's itch to knit has been rekindled. I am pleased to see her creativity re-blossom. M has been making some tools for his shop that haven't required power, since his finger is still recovering from the table saw. Brown Mouse has been working on a model Globe Theatre for his Shakespeare project. Me? I have been mending things and decluttering my crafting area, readying it to be packed up for a room rearrangement.

And just like that we slide toward spring! What is happening in your world?

January 2019

My blogging friend Carrie, of The Parenting Passageway, writes helpful, inspiring, meaningful posts on a very regular basis. I read and nod along with so many. She often writes a post for each month discussing relevant dates and ways to honor and celebrate those days as well as the season itself. This month, she added what she and her children were covering in each grade she is homeschooling, as well as personal and home goals and activities. I loved reading it and thought it was a format of sharing I would like to try. So here goes...

In January we hope for rain

to fill our reservoirs again. 

~Nicola

Dates of Interest:

These are some of the days our family is celebrating this month or simply things we are taking note of or interest in.

January 1: New Year's Day - for our family, this is the last day of our holiday countdown and a day that M has off of work.

January 20: Total Lunar Eclipse - I am excited that the eclipse can be seen at a time our kids can be awake to see it! Rainy weather may affect us, but fingers crossed we get a glimpse.

January 21: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, observed

January 28: Journey North Mystery Class begins

Homeschooling:

After a very clunky few months, we are settling into a new and more predictable rhythm, which is very welcome!

Both kids are participating in a class and, ultimately, a production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night right now. A lot of their lesson work stems from or is tied to this class, whether it be speech (learning lines), writing, or history.

Fifth grader: He is beginning to research and work on a project for the Shakespeare class. His chosen topic is architecture. I will help him narrow it down more as he explores his resources. He has regular/daily math he is doing using Teaching Textbooks and Key To workbooks. I am noticing some areas we need to review and/or gap-fill, so we are working on those, as well. He has learning differences with phonics, spelling, and writing, so we are using a program called REWARDS to support his progress in these areas.

Eight grader: She is also beginning to research and work on a project for the Shakespeare class. Her chosen topic is bookbinding in Elizabethan England. She is working on math daily using Khan Academy and Key To workbooks. We are also working through gaps. We have just gone through a lengthy evaluation for her and so are processing all we learned and making a plan for how to continue encouraging her strengths while adjusting assistance in the areas she needs more support.

Self-care:

My word for the year is present. My goal is to be mindful right now. A lot has happened in the past couple of years in our family that has affected my responses, reactions, and abilities to stay present. Also, we are having to do a lot more thinking and planning for educational changes next year. For various reasons, I have felt depleted and it has affected my health. So for self-care, I have resumed waking before everyone, getting a quiet cup of tea, and journaling. I have shifted my journaling prompts again, and having something fresh, helps. I am also getting daily exercise and M and I are re-establishing an at-home date night weekly.

Parenting:

One on one time for any of us (parent-child or husband-wife) has been ridiculously limited lately, so one of my goals right now is to make sure we are getting at least a little bit (that isn't connected to homeschool lessons). For Brown Mouse, this means remembering to pause what I am doing and join him in his play. For Lala Bug, it means joining her while she knits or crafts. And for M and me, it means those date nights I mentioned and a willingness to stay up later than my body likes, for at least one night a week, as his schedule and mine are a bit different. In addition, I have been mulling over Brown Mouse's social needs and supporting Lala Bug in building up the skills she will need for high school. We are still undecided about how/where she will be for 9th grade, so we have been touring schools and learning about the charter schools that serve homeschooled high schoolers.

Home Life:

I ended 2018 and began 2019 thinking a lot about my words for the years, shifting from happy to present. With my inner work toward happy came a foundation of work I needed to do around my expectations of others, limits/boundaries, and holding those limits with love. With a goal of being present, comes strength. All of that said, I have been doing a lot of inner work on my own needs, guilt, and what I am teaching my children through how I express all of this. Part of the result is that I am being clearer with the kids about the need for each of them to contribute more in our home, so I can be responsible for less. In addition, we are working towards some simple renovations (really, completion of projects started long ago) and a thorough purge and clean as we move toward re-arranging who sleeps in which rooms of our small house. This is long overdue and feels like a huge hurdle, so we are tackling a little bit at a time.

Crafting:

I simply don't have the time and energy I had when the kids were littler, to do the types of creating or writing I used to do. I know, it is a matter of how I choose to use my time. Right now, those pursuits are getting less of me. I have been reading for pleasure, I have been doing a tiny bit of knitting, and I have been taking photographs, which I love. Both kids are expressing an interest in photography, so I am considering signing us up for an online photo class. This would be something we could enjoy together, do in our own time from home, and also expose Lala Bug to online classes, which she will need to be familiar with in high school. We, as a family, have been crafting a lot, though. There was a lot of merry making leading up to Christmas and I have supported my very crafty children!

Well...so much January goodness. Although it is already mid-January, I have enjoyed sharing our plans. Maybe as we go along, I will also share what we actually did! If you care to share what is happening at your house, I would love to read it!

learning period 1 of 2018-2019

The year before last (how was that so long ago?!), I shared about our homeschool year, one learning period at a time. We homeschool under the branches of a charter school that we love, and the charter follows us in two-month chunks, called learning periods. Learning period 1 was August and September. Here is a little snapshot of the launch of our year!

Nature study weekly; I had planned for Fridays to be our nature study and library day, but several weeks in, although desired and beautiful, it wasn't so smooth. Walking alongside me one week, my wise little guy says to me, "Mamma, what do you think if we do our nature walks on Monday mornings? Maybe they would be better for starting the week." And he was right! It doesn't matter what school or work we human beings head into each week, MOANday mornings tend to be hard. Nature walk has been a much gentler start to the week and we have cherished slower home rhythm on Fridays.

I am realizing that, while I am deeply inspired by Waldorf as my home teaching and parenting foundation, our best flowing "us-school" days are perhaps a little more unit study-like. (That term makes me cringe. I don't know why.) This year, I am using Brave Writer Arrow and Boomerang guides for writing mechanics and grammar, something with which we needed to become a little more consistent. I chose to start us with Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, the 1956 Newbery award winning biographical novel of Nathaniel Bowditch, written by Jean Lee Latham.

I could never have imagined the journey Nat would take us on. We were gripped by his story ("Just one more chapter, Mamma!") and how he quietly, yet deeply affected history. We were then hurled through time, backward from Nat to Galileo and forward from Nat and onto the west coast for The Coast Mappers and a tour of a modern ship, the one my brother works on. This one chapter book had us eagerly chasing math, science, history, writing, and language arts, and had the kids making connections and expressing curiosity and excitement with what they were learning. This is fuel for the homeschooling mama soul.

 Along with our read alouds and all-things-Nat, the kids did regular math lessons, another subject we had become inconsistent with. Brown Mouse is very happily engaged with Teaching Textbooks now. He worked his way through the free trial and into a full membership for the year. Lala Bug has been doing Khan Academy, supplemented with Key To... series practice booklets (which our charter school provides). It feels good to have math anchors without push back. I do think the year that I backed off and made math more about play and living experiences made a huge positive difference in math attitude now.

So much cooking and baking, below. Lala Bug got interested in and immediately skilled in baking cakes in the spring, and we always meal plan and meal prep for the week, so a lot of cooking and baking has been happening around here, particularly with September being full of birthdays.The praise "this is the best cake I have ever had!" is positive feedback Lala Bug has loved hearing, and since we are gluten-free bakers, that was encouraging to me.

Soccer is successfully and joyfully underway, 4-H projects and charter classes are beginning this week, and probably the most meaningful things we are doing right now is going through a series of appointments for the unique needs of one kiddo and health-related challenges I have been having. For this reason, alone, the success of our basic weekly rhythm has been so encouraging to me. We are now moving onward into learning period 2. We are studying chocolate and its origins, the constitution and natural history (both through our charter classes), and excited about the playful learning of 4-H.

I hope your learning year is starting smoothly and joyfully!

health (and food) journey

M has been encouraging me to share my health journey here. I joke that I am the healthiest unhealthy person (or maybe it's the unhealthiest healthy person?), because all my basics are good...blood pressure, cholesterol, fitness, mindfulness and care of my emotional and mental health, etc.

Yet I am a highly sensitive person who has to be careful with fatigue and overwhelm and I have struggled with eczema for my entire life. It comes and it goes, some of the triggers are very obvious, some are no longer triggers, and some are new triggers that I am trying to figure out. It primarily presents on my face and neck and in the past 6-12 months, my eczema has been so inflamed, uncomfortable, and embarrassing, that I knew it was time to make some more changes.

My eczema story begins from the time I was very little. I would toddle out to the family garden, pick green beans, and munch like they were candy. Every parent's dream...until I would break out in a rash. Through my childhood, I was allergic to legumes.

By the time I was about 12, I was having some other symptoms, as well. I found I was tired a lot. I got thoroughly checked and learned I had hypothyroidism. Not long after that, I struggled with a host of issues that, at the time, was uncertainly diagnosed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and I was also put on a diet for Candida. Around the same time, I became deeply affected by caring for animals at a beloved ranch camp and decided to become vegetarian. (My poor parents!)

As I write all of this, I realize that some of the changes I have made in the last decade are ones I should have made many, many years prior, or I had made (with parental guidance and support) and then eventually lapsed from. And looking back, my mom and I have puzzled over some of my symptoms and struggles and I now think that anxiety and high sensitivity played a mental role in my struggles, which unknowingly (but now obviously) mingled with my body's health struggles.

About 8 years ago, my eczema flared badly and kept becoming infected. I had already discovered more allergies (cats, grasses, dust, certain scents, etc.). I really struggled during this time because I was a full time mamma to two young ones and I was feeling very poorly, but it wasn't the type of illness I wanted to share about broadly. I saw all sorts of specialists, pursued a variety of possibilities, and I tested positive for Lyme disease. I was on multiple rounds of strong antibiotics and my body was not happy with me.

When a blogging friend (Renee) told me her husband's eczema cleared when he went on a gluten free diet, I began really pushing my doctors to check me for Celiac Disease. They pushed back, but eventually, I was tested. A blood test and then an endoscopy showed that I was in the early stages of damage from Celiac Disease. As an amateur DIY baker, this was crushing, but I cleared out the kitchen, began exploring gluten-free recipes, and have been gluten-free ever since. It took nearly 9 months of being gluten-free for my body to begin to feel better.

For the following 7 years, I still struggled with eczema, but not to the degree that I had been, and not with the infections. Then, about a year ago, my eczema started getting worse again.During this time I added certain supplements to my diet, including vitamin D, multi-vitamin, probiotic, etc.

A couple of months ago, I went in to see my regular doctor for a well check. She was quite thorough with me and I walked away being told I needed to begin an anti-inflammatory diet, especially cutting out dairy. If I thought cutting gluten was hard, dairy was going to be harder for me, because I was still vegetarian for the most part. (I ate seafood.) My doctor sent me for a thorough set of blood tests and this time, it showed that my eosinophils (markers of inflammation) were off the charts high.

Our family went on a backpacking trip and then I began an anti-inflammatory diet the day after we got home. No dairy, no grains (to start, then small amounts of gluten free grains), no alcohol, no sugar, no caffeine, and no legumes (because, remember, I was allergic to those as a kid? And that includes no peanuts). I needed to start eating some poultry to get enough protein and feel fuller.

I read and followed Aviva Romm's Adrenal Thyroid Revolution, focusing on my overall health and a diet and general health reset, rather than an elimination diet. By the end of week 2, my skin was looking and feeling much better and my brain fog was clearing. I felt like I could think again! (I had had a joke that "I need to think about thinking about" things. When the fog started lifting, all of a sudden I had opinions and thoughts about the kitchen remodel that has been years overdue!)

The reset was a month long, it is over, and while I am maintaining some of the things I have cleared from my diet (dairy, alcohol, most sugar), my skin is a little stressed again and I have been feeling a little anxious and fuzzy headed again. I am on a waiting list for patch testing to determine if and what might be contributing to my inflammation topically. I know the self-care and mental health components of our whole being health cannot be underestimated, and as the parent of a high needs child, I know I am under a steady amount of stress.

I was tested again late last week for Lyme and a re-check of my eosinophil levels. This time, my Lyme came back negative and my eosinophils markers have dropped substantially, resting barely above the max of the normal range. I am thrilled! I have noticed that I have dropped a little bit of weight in addition to feeling a better. Feeling better has made me realize how poorly I had been feeling and that I have been functioning low steam for awhile now, without realizing it.

M joined me for the reset and we are committed to stay on track together. While we ate many of these things before, we are eating tons more fruits and veggies, fish, poultry, seeds, nuts, gluten-free noodles, potatoes, quinoa, rice, and millet. The couple of times I have had sugary foods, I have gotten a stomach ache, so I think my body is adjusting, and I am not having cravings like I was the first week. I am still tired, so I continue to work on getting enough sleep.

From a financial perspective, we save money by keeping meals simple, making foods in batches and freezing some, buying in bulk when possible (we have a chest freezer), planning so food isn't wasted (and I keep my food plans simple), not eating prepared foods, and buying foods when they are reduced price.

Health is one part of this life journey, so what I share here is more of a snapshot of 'right now' than anything else. Do you have challenges or successes with your health in an ongoing way?

June 2018, a nature filled update

We have had so many beautiful moments that I have caught on camera lately and I have shared bits and pieces of our doings on Instagram (request to follow me @nicolacreativelightless ), but I wanted to share more here, and quite honestly, had forgotten that I posted a decent summary of our highlights in early May. All of that still holds true, with the exception of my health status. Knock on wood, I am on the mend. After a glorious backpacking trip (see below), we began an anti-inflammatory diet. Really, it is for me, because my inflammation markers were through the roof on a recent blood test, but M decided to join me. He says he isn't feeling that different, but my skin (horrible eczema) is clearing and my brain fog is lifting. I am still tired, but am taking much better care of myself, my family is supporting me, and I don't feel like hiding quite so much.

We slid out of the school year. What I mean by that is that I simply chose a day to end the school year, but we had already started fizzling out and while I truly believe in a rest period (I might be the one who needs it most), rhythm is good for all of us and there are certain pieces to our days that we don't want to let go of (nature play and study!) or I feel like need a little special focus. We did finish up some unfinished projects, which felt good.

With my brain fluff clearing a little, and in combination with Waldorf-Inspired Learning's Plan it Out program, I am thinking a bit about what worked, what didn't, and what I would like to plan for next year. We won't likely make decisions about high school for some months yet, but I am planning as though this is our last year homeschooling with all of us together. A lot of emotions for me. Really, kiddos do grow up so quickly.

So now we enter summer. Long days of light have meant a loss of morning alone time for me, because Lala Bug is waking super early and can't fall back to sleep. (Yes, there are black out shades in the bedroom.) She is a highly sensitive kid. We used to do a summer manifesto, but now, I am simply holding the words "summer slow down" in my mind.

What will summer look like for you?

happy

Each year, I choose one word, a grounding word, to hold in my mind and heart when I need it most.
This year, I thought of many words that seemed right; Reflect, Connect, Rest, Quiet, Us, Grow(th), Acceptance, Smile, Contentment, Consciousness, Creativity, Letting Go (two words, I know).

I needed a simple word to return to, something that, in some way, can encompass all of those, depending on how life ebbs and flows.

So I am embracing the word Happy.

Happy is a feeling I want to reclaim. I feel as though I have lost it as I grasp for other things. Honestly, what I really came down to were the words Expectations and Boundaries/Limits, which would, in turn, lessen my feelings of Guilt, something that really chokes out Happy. So, through the year, as I meditate on the word Happy, I will be checking in with myself about Expectations, Boundaries/Limits, and Guilt.

This is my 9th year choosing a word. My previous words for each year were as follows, and each has given me one anchor to pause and meditate on when I need just one thing.

2010 ~ Calm
2011 ~ Nourish
2012 ~ Hope
2013 ~ Renewal
2014 ~ Treasure
2015 ~ Joy
2016 ~ Laughter/Humor (Really, it was a word that was an inside family joke. Here is my post.)
2017 ~ Harmony (Here is my blog post from last year)
and now,
2018 ~ Happy

When I look back and think about those words, each one brings such unique memories of my focus for that year. The summer I practiced embroidery at the lake by stitching calm into the sampler. The year nourish shifted from tending my pregnant body to tending my miscarried soul. The year I needed to remember to treasure what I had instead of looking for something more, different. These words are an anchor to focus my busy mind.

Each year, on our adventures, I find a rock along the way, write my word of the year, the year, and where I found it, on the rock. I then add it to the growing pile in a big shell on my dresser. Sometimes, I stop and handle the rocks, holding the weight of those words and memories.

I hope you found harmony in 2017 and may your 2018 be a happy one!

harmony

Despite my little blog tagline, "Creating balance by creatively living lightly on less. At home.," I have found balance to be a bit elusive lately. I am having difficulty balancing all. the. things. Actually, that isn't as true as saying that I feel as though I am failing to meet the needs of everyone, perhaps myself as much as anyone, without guilt that I am taking away from someone else. I have experienced a tremendous amount of anxiety and overwhelm this year and have been feeling as though I am not enough for those around me. I suppose it is partially about setting limits lovingly.

So, although I considered other words, such as enchantment, connection, presence, self-care, and others, for my word for 2017, I wanted my word to center around the idea of balance (although I didn't want to use the word balance, itself).

My word for 2017 is Harmony.

My thought is that this one word can help me focus on finding balance while considering all those other important things; connection, self-care, simplicity. I want to feel harmony within myself and around me.

This is my 8th year choosing a word. My previous words for each year were as follows, and each has given me one anchor to pause and meditate on when I need just one thing.

2010 ~ Calm
2011 ~ Nourish
2012 ~ Hope
2013 ~ Renewal
2014 ~ Treasure
2015 ~ Joy
2016 ~ Laughter/Humor (Although really, it was a word that was an inside family joke.)
and
2017 ~ Harmony

Just as our holiday card said (and if you receive them, you will notice they are signed in a similar way each year), I hope 2016 has brought you much laughter and you, too, will find harmony in 2017.

self-care

I felt inspired to begin writing this post several weeks ago, when I could feel a tug inward, but that pull was followed by such an intense test of my inner self and has been so full of processing. (And that was before Election Day!) I had new layers of myself pulled back by surprise and though the processing is hard, I feel good and strong in who I am and the path I am on. There is a sense of peace in that.

As a highly sensitive, melancholic-sanguine (feels deeply, deep thinker, but has difficulty with personal follow-through), I am finding this season of life (homeschooling, children going through changes, high needs) challenging and I am struggling to get (expect, request, carve out) enough time alone. I have thought, too many times, "I need to think about thinking." That is always the red flag that it is time to go quiet, go inward, reflect, offload, and heal.

I have had such positive experiences getting what I have needed in the two weeks leading up to the time change and it has motivated me to finish this post and share some ways I take care of myself and I carve out time for inner work, especially as a 24/7 homeschooling parent.

1. I take a teaching day off. We play games, listen to Sparkle Stories, watch movies or shows, read books, do crafts, etc. 
2. I find a way to get alone time. Sometimes this is accomplished simply by laying down and putting earbuds in. The UCLA Mindfulness Institute meditations are among my favorites. Often, I start the day quietly alone. (I was in a dreamy groove of this until the time change last weekend! Now I seem to have company in the mornings.)
3. Journaling. Writing has always been cathartic for me. It has been an essential way of processing and working out feelings. In the last 6 months or so, writing hasn't come as easily. I have all the words in my head, but when they are there, ready to pour out, I don't have the time or space to get them onto paper. Journaling, therefore, is sometimes a short poem or a collage. Something that lets me express myself.
4. Exercise. It just makes one's body and mind feel more positive!
5. Reading something inspirational to this season of my life. Some of my favorites are: A Gracious Space, Mitten Strings for God (non-religious), Simplicity Parenting, and The Parenting Passageway.  
6. I listen to podcasts and recorded videos, usually related to (you guessed it) this season of my life; homeschool, parenting, simplicity, and others. I am particularly enjoying A Gracious Space readings, SparkleCast, Homeschool Sisters, A Waldorf Journey (these three are on iTunes), and Waldorf-Inspired Learning. I also like to listen to older talks recorded by Melisa of Waldorf Essentials, through my TFW Lifetime membership.
7. Take a class! Classes and coaching that have reeled me in are Waldorf Essentials TFW Lifetime, The Alliance from Brave Writer, several different MOOCs, a Hand in Hand Parenting course, and others, and those are just the online ones! In person, my favorite ones recently were a Waldorf Essentials Joyful Essentials workshop and a John Muir Laws drawing class. (The drawing class was free and the kids joined me!)
8. Practice a hobby (while the kids are around)! Photography, writing, sewing, gardening, knitting, and drawing/art are all things the kids and I have done together and feed my soul. 
9. Get regular inspiration and reminders of the need for self care, play, and connection. Play4Life Moms has the best text and quick video service for giving me little reminders throughout the week. Again, A Gracious Space readings and parent listening partnerships keep me focused and positive.
10. I make sure I am at least getting the "little" things. Like my morning cup of tea.
11. I ask for help from my "village."

I don't get all of these things all of the time, but when I don't do any of them, we all suffer. What do you do to take care of yourself?