by Stacey / Create a Balance on March 12, 2010 · 4 comments
“I believe it’s your birthright to live the life you desire”
~ The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life by Renee Peterson Trudeau ~
With spring approaching, I am declaring the rest of 2010 as the year to reclaim, rejuvenate, and re-balance my life…and I invite all of you to join me.
Here’s a snapshot of the Self-Renewal Project for Moms…
183 pages of The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal, which includes a year-long guide with monthly themes and soul searching exercises for moms.
183 posts on CreateaBalance.com as I slow down, connect with my natural inner wisdom, nurture my inner self, and examine what self-renewal means to me.
I will blog page by page from start to finish and hope you will join me.
Where will this lead? Not knowing is part of the fun.
How can you get involved?
Join the Mr. Linky list below. Let us know you are carving out time in your life to invest in yourself by adding your name and URL. This will be a growing list of moms who are creating the lives they truly desire and deserve. This list will become my blogroll so it’s easy for other like-minded moms to find each other.
Join us on Twitter for an evening of self-renewal (a social networking Mom’s Night Out). You can participate in FREE weekly Self Renewal Parties on Twitter using the hashtag #SRP (Self Renewal Party). The first #SRP Twitter Party is Friday, March 19, from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. EST (6:00 p.m. PST). I’m playing with the day and time, so this may change overtime.
RSVP by tweeting the following sentence “@CreateaBalance I’m participating in this week’s Self Renewal Twitter Party for Moms.” (you do not have to RSVP to participate).
Join us by phone for an evening of self-renewal (a virtual Mom’s Night Out). The first FREE Self Renewal Party by phone is Sunday, March 21, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. EST (5:30 p.m. PST).
RSVP by sending an email to stacey @ createabalance [dot] com. (you do have to RSVP to receive the dial-in information).
Join a Personal Renewal Group — a monthly women’s circle based on The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal. By participating in a Personal Renewal Group for Moms, you’ll receive resources for creating balance in your life, strategies and insights for self-renewal, ideas on reconnecting with “who you are”, a meaningful community connection with like-minded moms, a copy of Renee Trudeau’s book The Mother’s Guide to Self-Renewal and email coaching support in between meetings.
Moms, add yourself to this list if you are ready to reclaim, rejuvenate, and re-balance your life. Again, this list will become my blogroll so it’s easy for other like-minded moms to find each other.
by Stacey / Create a Balance on March 8, 2010 · 7 comments
My intention for this Mamavation post is to create space to listen to my natural inner wisdom around my health and fitness goals.
Support Matters
Last Monday, when I needed it most, I reached out to my Mamavation sistas to help me be more accountable for exercising.
Within a few minutes, I heard from Jennifer @jenstuart27, Katie @sailorsprincess, and Stella @mountainmomma. This micro group of sistas has helped me increase my exercise from once a week to three times a week! It was great letting these sistas know when I worked out and it was inspiring when Jennifer, Katie, and Stella told me when they worked out. I’m hoping to continue this support process so I can move towards working out five days a week.
Exercise Matters
Exercising three times this week helped me lose 1.2 pounds. My exercise routine included the following activities:
Lifting weights
Step aerobics using the Wii balance board
Walking outside
My Healthy Commitments for the Week
Continue using my online support system
Continue drinking more and more water
Continue making healthy “feel-good” food choices
Work out five times
Leave a comment letting me know what your healthy commitments are for the week.
General Hospital is participating in the National Teen Dating Abuse love campaign by having a teenage female character involved in an abusive relationship. Through a public service announcement on General Hospital, I found out LoveIsRespect.organd discovered these startling statistics about teen dating abuse!
Physical and sexual abuse is the most often talked about piece of dating abuse.
1 in 5 teens that have been in a serious relationship report being hit, slapped, or pushed by a partner
1 in 3 teenagers report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by their partner
1 in 4 teenage girls who have been in relationships reveal they have been pressured to perform oral sex or engage in intercourse
But dating abuse doesn’t have to be physical.
Dating abuse can include verbal and emotional abuse and controlling behaviors.
More than 1 in 4 teenage girls in a relationship report enduring repeated verbal abuse
One-third or more of teens who have been in a relationship have been with a partner who frequently asked where they were and whom they were with
1 in 4 teens who have been in a serious relationship say their boyfriend or girlfriend has tried to prevent them from spending time with friends or family; the same number have been pressured to only spend time with their partner
Nearly 1 in 5 teenage girls who have been in a relationship said a boyfriend had threatened violence or self-harm if presented with a break-up
Cell phones and social networking can also be used to abuse and control.
One in three teens (30%) say they are text messaged 10, 20, or 30 times an hour by a partner inquiring where they are, what they’re doing, or who they’re with
68% of teens say boyfriends/girlfriends sharing private or embarrassing pictures/videos on cell phones and computers is a serious problem
71% of teens regard boyfriends/girlfriends spreading rumors about them on cell phones and social networking sites as a serious problem
The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline and LoveIsRespect.org is here to help!
The National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline is a 24-hour resource for teens and young adults experiencing dating abuse. It is designed with teens and young adults in mind, operating around the growing technologies that they use most often: the phone, the web, and chat. Young men and women, along with their friends and families, can anonymously contact a trained teen dating abuse advocate by phone 24/7 at (866) 331-9474 or TTY (866) 331-8453.
They can also chat online in a one-on-one, confidential conversation with a peer advocate between the hours of 4 pm and 2 am. Nothing is off limits or too crazy or embarrassing to ask. They are here to help!
One in three teenagers has experienced violence in a dating relationship. I applaud General Hospital for bringing this issue to moms and teenagers across the country and encourage you to share this information with moms of teenagers.
Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review. I am not participating in this four week campaign for General Hospital branded items, I am participating to share my opinions about the show.
Jessica, from Jessica Knows, recently challenged her readers to write down what they are all about in five lines or less. I love a good challenge, so playing off of Jessica’s creativity, I wrote five lines about ME using blog post links.
by Stacey / Create a Balance on March 1, 2010 · 9 comments
My intention for this Mamavation post is to create space to listen to my natural inner wisdom around my health and fitness goals.
Last week was frustrating because I gained one pound. I used @FrugalFemina’s meal plan as I guide and carefully watched what I ate. But it’s really hard to eat healthy, drink 60+ ounces of water, and exercise every day. It’s really really hard.
My intention is to balance eating healthy, drinking 60+ ounces of water, and exercising every day. I’m not there yet, but that is the vision I desire for my body, mind, spirit, and heart.
Although I did not find a healthy balance last week, I know today is a new day. My friend and wellness expert, Stacey Shipman, inspired me last week when I watched her American Heart Association public service announcement about women, heart disease and the AHA Go Red For Women campaign.
Stacey is spreading the word that living healthy is a right we all have. Although she is not a mom, I know she would love the #Mamavation philosophy because she believes in women coming together to support one another to live healthy, satisfied, “feel-good” lives.
Please take 2 minutes to watch this extremely important message.
Cheers to taking care of ourselves and for choosing to live!
by Stacey / Create a Balance on February 26, 2010 · 3 comments
Last week during my first General Hospital brand ambassador post, I talked about my state of blissful mindlessness when I watch General Hospital. I escape once a day for the entertainment, the humor (yes, General Hospital is funny), the extreme story lines, and the mental break it provides.
I don’t watch General Hospital instead of meditating, I meditate in the morning and watch General Hospital in the evening as part of my mental “cool down”.
The topic for this week’s General Hospital Ambassador post revolves around Sonny’s trial for murder. One son is tormented when his father takes the fall for him while the other is called to stand to testify against his father.
The stress this is having on Sonny’s kids made me think about what my own children go through to remain loyal to their family members and how much my children contribute to turning our house into a peaceful home.
My six year old son is lover. He never wants people to fight, disagree, or argue. He, of course, prefers if everything happens his way, but if things don’t go his way he wants to hear a loving explanation. Like any child, he doesn’t want to feel upset or angry.
But life is life and sometimes we all feel upset. We personally get upset or we have to watch our loved ones be upset. Like tonight, when my three year (who was extremely over tired) hit my husband in the face and broke his glasses. <sigh> My 6 year old went into “daddy loyalty” mode and showered him with love all night to compensate for the difficult situation my husband was in early. I watched and I observed, amazed at his loving wisdom and desire to heal others and worried (because I’m a mom) if this need to heal is too much for a six year old to handle.
All of this learning stemmed from a few blissful mindless hours of watching General Hospital.
Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review. I am not participating in this four week campaign for General Hospital branded items, I am participating to share my opinions about the show.
by Stacey / Create a Balance on February 22, 2010 · 3 comments
My intention for this Mamavation post is to create space to listen to my natural inner wisdom around my health and fitness goals.
Last week, my intention was to drink 8 glasses of water a day and exercise at least 5 days during the week. I drank a lot of water this week, but did not truly measure my water. I’m thinking about using a hydracoach to track my water going forward. Inspired by Mandy’s January 25, 2010, Mamavation post I’d rather be in Bollywood I Bollywood danced this week. If you like dancing, I recommend it because it’s both fun and a great workout.
Fruits and Veggies
My fruits and veggies skyrocketed this week with lots of fruit covered salads.
Challenges
I’d like to be working out more. My excuses…the mornings are busy with the kids, the day is busy with work, and evenings are busy with kids again, and I’m too tired at night. Yes, I know I’m all about self-care. Yes, I do find time to take care of myself. Yes, I do practice ME time on a daily basis. I do find time for me everyday, but it rarely includes working out.
Results
Week Five. I wish I could say I have lost five pounds, but instead I’m only down 1.2 pounds. Cheers to my 1.2 pounds!
by Stacey / Create a Balance on February 17, 2010 · 7 comments
Subtitled…”I’m a General Hospital Brand Ambassador“.
So here’s one thing you may not know about me…one way that I create a balance in my life is by watching General Hospital. For me, General Hospital is pure indulgence.
If you know me, you know I believe in the power of ME time and in the importance of creating space to listen to your natural inner wisdom. I believe is connecting with your authentic voice and in living your best life.
General Hospital is part of my ME time, but it has nothing to do with my inner wisdom, my authentic voice, or living my best life. It’s an escape from my reality and I love it.
I recently realized that I don’t blog a lot about what I do when I’m not involved with self-care and personal growth. So when Mom Central and the ABC Daytime Team invited me to take on a four week General Hospital Brand Ambassador position, I thought this would a perfect opportunity to start a dialog around doing something mindless every day that makes you happy (and to tell all of you why I love GH).
Escaping to Port Charles during an
episode of General Hospital makes me happy.
It’s such a simple equation.
I’ve been watching GH off and on for 28 years (OMG) but have watched almost every episode since I got Tivo three years ago. I watch it at night after I put my children to bed and before I blog, coach, or take care of the house. It’s my daily break.
Are You a General Hospital Fan?
If you watch GH, you will want to hear about the exciting General Hospital Sweepstakes that’s currently being run on the Mom Central website. One lucky winner will be randomly selected to receive a trip to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital and have a walk-on role. The sweepstakes is open until February 28th.
Yes, I hope I win!
In the comments section, tell me what mindless thing you do every day that makes you happy. Do you watch GH? I’d love to know why (let me know in the comments section).
Disclosure: I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other General Hospital branded items to facilitate my review. I am not participating in this four week campaign for General Hospital branded items, I am participating to share my opinions about the show.
by Stacey / Create a Balance on February 15, 2010 · 11 comments
My intention for this Mamavation post is to create space to listen to my natural inner wisdom around my health and fitness goals.
I didn’t write my week three Mamavation Monday post last week because I was on vacation with my family on Sanibel Island, Florida. Before I left for vacation, I was nervous that my self sabotaging vacation voice was going to convince me to eat unhealthy vacation food. But thanks for all of the support I have been receiving from my Mamavation Sistas, I was able to make really healthy choices throughout my vacation.
Food
Success – For breakfast I ate cheerios or oatmeal, for lunch I ate tuna or vege strips with lots of fresh vegetables, and for dinner I ate lots of fish and vegetables.
Challenges - I did slip a few gummy bears in here and there, but overall, I did not eat a lot of candy. What I did notice was how my eating habits changed 48 hours before my vacation ended. A burger found its way into my mouth the night I realized my vacation was coming to an end. And on the very last night of the trip two pieces of pizza tried to comfort me as I was packing up the bathing suits and cleaning the beach toys. I knew I was emotional eating on the last two nights of the trip…and I ate anyways.
Mamavation – So here I sit, listening to my natural inner wisdom, being completely honest with myself, celebrating the healthy food choices I made for the majority of my nine day vacation, and forgiving myself for not always being perfect. On this fitness journey, I vow to find kindness and compassion instead of judgment and comparison for myself.
Exercise
I was always on the go during my vacation and it felt great to MOVE all day long. I biked across the island, did yoga on the beach, canoed in the bay, hiked in bird sanctuaries, swam in the pool, and walked along the Gulf of Mexico.
Results
Even though I moved a lot and made (mostly) healthy choices, I did gain a few pounds. The good news is that I did not gain the typical 5 pounds I usually gain when I go on vacation. I’m hoping these few pounds are water related and I’m optimistic that I’ll be able to lose these few pounds this week.
This Week
It is my intention this week to drink 8 glasses of water a day and exercise at least 5 days this week.
What are your intentions this week for your health and fitness goals?
Last week during my 
The topic for this week’s General Hospital Ambassador post revolves around Sonny’s trial for murder. One son is tormented when his father takes the fall for him while the other is called to stand to testify against his father.
My six year old son is lover. He never wants people to fight, disagree, or argue. He, of course, prefers if everything happens his way, but if things don’t go his way he wants to hear a loving explanation. Like any child, he doesn’t want to feel upset or angry.
But life is life and sometimes we all feel upset. We personally get upset or we have to watch our loved ones be upset. Like tonight, when my three year (who was extremely over tired) hit my husband in the face and broke his glasses. <sigh> My 6 year old went into “daddy loyalty” mode and showered him with love all night to compensate for the difficult situation my husband was in early. I watched and I observed, amazed at his loving wisdom and desire to heal others and worried (because I’m a mom) if this need to heal is too much for a six year old to handle.
This Week
Redefining the word Balance: Creating space in your life to listen to and celebrate your natural inner wisdom.
