This is an original post written by contributing writer Dina.

Why does it seem when most things are going perfectly in your life that one area still needs attention? We get ourselves stuck in the same negative patterns that are often hard to break. I have found the best way to overcome being “stuck” is to make a conscious decision to step way out of my comfort zone and make a really big change in my life. Forget about one little change, in order to break the stagnancy and renew yourself sometimes a big change in necessary.

That is why Family Sanity Reviews is conducting the Leap Out of Your Box Challenge during the month of September. We are challenging you to make a huge change in your life and tell your story. For example:

• You want to get healthier but you hate working out; train for a triathlon
• You want to write a book; join a write a book in 30 day program
• You have a dream that has been nagging you for years; find ways to make it happen
• You are feeling spiritually bankrupt; explore other teachings and philosophies

These are just some examples, but if you join the challenge you are eligible for over $3000 worth of prizes designed to help you on your path of leaping outside of your box.

Top prizes include an Online Degree Program from Healing Art Forms , Discover Your Sweet Spot Weight Loss Coaching from Amber O’Neal, and Renee Trudeau’s Personal Renewal Group Training.

Only you can make the decisions that will change your life; these prizes will help you along the way!

Dina is a Certified Massage Therapist and Yoga Instructor and has studied Herbal and Aromatic medicine for over 10 years. When she is not using her husband, son, and dog as guinea pigs for her natural creations she is writing her blog www.familysanityreviews.com, or belly dancing, East Indian dancing, knitting, reading, cooking and drinking wine; sometimes all at once.

This is part 2 of a 6-week Round Up series for the Inner Mean Girl 40-Day Cleanse, featuring blog posts from our fabulous Self-Love Ambassadors.

Week 1 was all about giving up gossip. I had three Ah-Ha moments last week from my Inner Mean Girl (aka Sabotaging Samantha):

• My Inner Mean Girl gossips to me (inside my head) all the time. Last week she saw a beautiful bride at a local park and said she looked like a bitch. My Inner Wisdom assertively pushed back and said “She’s beautiful”.
• Gossip is everywhere. I was so aware last week that I had remove myself (heart, mind, and body) from many negative conversations.
• I don’t gossip very often, but when I do I’m very dramatic and filled with high energy. Gossip riles me up when I choose to participate.

Week 1 The Inner Mean Girl 40-Day Cleanse Blog Posts…

1. Julie Hedlund writes Gossip Girl
2. Shakti Martin writes Gossip Goo!
3. Wendee Holtcamp writes Do I Gossip?
4. Daenel writes Giving Up Gossip
5. Rachel Hull writes Good Talk or Gossip
6. Nicky Smolter writes Giving Up Gossip
7. Beki Berrey writes No More Dishin the Dirt
8. Teri Williams writes    Gossip Gossip Gossip
9. Elena Sonnino writes It is All About Awareness
10. Marissa Vicario writes My Week Without Gossip
11. Wendee Holtcamp writes Inner Mean Girl Cleanse
12. Christine Leiser Schroeder writes Gving Up Gossip
13. Kim Knight writes Getting to Know Your Inner Critics
14. Vicki Garcia writes Inner Mean Girl Cleanse Week one
15. Kelli Smith writes Inner Girl Cleanse Week One Gossip
16. Dawna writes Week one Inner Mean Girl Cleanse Begins
17. Christina Gleason writes Inner Mean Girl Cleanse Week 1
18. Marissa writes Inner Mean Girl Be Gone – Kickin’ it all off!
19. Dina Tibbs writes Inner Mean Girl Cleanse Week 1 Gossip
20. Dawna writes Inner Mean Girl Cleanse Weekly Round Up 2
21. Pamela dayton writes Yes I am Still Here and No I have Not
22. Teri Williams writes Time to Get Rid of That Inner Mean Girl
23. Connie Roberts writes Week One Inner Mean Girl Cleanse Gossip
24. Cindy Jones Lantier writes Gossip and the Inner Mean Girl Cleanse
25. Stacey Hoffer Weckstein writes Day 1 of the Inner Mean Girl Cleanse
26. Amanda ReCupido writes Undomestic Goddess is Down For Maintenance
    

Join the Inner Mean Girl 40-Day Cleanse Today!
It’s never too late to stop being so hard on yourself.

This is an original post written by contributing writer Lisa Hanneman.

It’s 2 am. I’ve been in bed, mine and then the guest room and now mine again, since midnight. The alarm is set for 4 am. My window of opportunity for sleep is closing and I really need every moment of sleep I can get tonight. I’m talking about outdoor family items on local TV tomorrow. At 6 am.

“I think I’m having an anxiety attack,” I say to my husband, waking him up. (OK, so this is most likely not true. I just know it will get his attention.) But, I’m feeling panicked and underprepared and a tad bit nervous that I’m going to say “um” too much or that my face will look puffy from the lack of sleep.

“Try your yoga breaths,” he whispers without opening his eyes.

“I have. I can’t.” It’s been over a month since I went to yoga, because of stuff like this and work. I usually do yoga on Tuesdays when I work from home, but work has been busy with meetings and reasons I have to be in the office, which means I haven’t been able to go to yoga. My ability to force myself into relaxation no longer exists. I don’t remember what feeling relaxed feels like right now.

My husband takes my hand and talks to me. I sleep for 90 minutes, and then the alarm goes off.

The spot goes well, goes great even. I worried over nothing.

I lost sleep for no reason.

Afterward we take our son to Lincoln Park Zoo for the first time. He loves it, despite the lack of most animals so early in the morning.

After that I’m dropped off at my best friend’s place for the bachelorette party I’m throwing for her. An all day affair that includes a sleepover. I’m one of three moms in attendance. We take a bus to a concert at Alpine Valley and back to the city. Everyone passes out on the way home, it’s around 1:00 am and we have two hours of driving ahead of us.

I stay awake. The bus driver has been working a long day, he’s in his 60′s. He could doze off ever… so… easily….  And then we’d crash and I’m not ready to die. Is this a mom instinct thing?

I move up to the seat behind the driver to let him know I’m awake. And I’m watching his eyes in the mirror, waiting for the first sign of heavy lids. I chat him up, hoping that the conversation will keep me awake as much as him. And it works. My single, non-child having friends sleep like babies and I sit and think of mine. Something tells me to stay awake, let’s call it mom instincts.

We arrive at the hotel after 3 am. It’s been nearly 24 hours since I’ve slept and in the last 48 hours I’ve clocked 90 minutes of sleep. I’m hurting. Past exhaustion, but convinced that the only reason I’m awake is because I’m a mom. I’ve done this level of tired before. Keeping up with my life has become much like keeping up with a newborn.

That day I slipped somewhat effortlessly in and out of my roles of wife, mom, friend, matron of honor… the many versions I am of myself. I stretched myself as thin as I could, it kind of hurt, but it’s another day in the life of a complex mom.

Yoga the following Tuesday felt better than ever, I sweat, relaxed, breathed, and thanked myself for taking advantage of opportunities and staying awake to keep that bus driver company.

Lisa Hanneman strives for balance in a life overbooked by her husband, adorable toddler son, full-time job, friends, home projects, blogging, and busy social calendar.  Most weeks she manages to squeeze in a bikram yoga class with her best friend, but she only manages to get her hair cut once a year.  She dreams about volunteering, staying ahead of the laundry pile and dust bunnies, and a to-do list with only five items on it.  You can find her blogging about life as a rookie parent while laughing at herself on her personal blog, Hannemaniacs.

This is an original post written by contributing writer Kelly.

“When you recover or discover something that
nourishes your soul and brings joy,
care enough about yourself
to make room for it in your life.”
~Jean Shinoda Bolen

Anyone who knows me would probably describe me as an avid gardener.  I love gardening.  Gardening didn’t really make it’s way onto my life radar-screen until my early thirties.  Chasing career goals had taken up most of my twenties, yet when I came home to be a stay-at-home mom, one of my priorities was to prepare and eat only whole-food.  Organic food prices were prohibitive, so I began a small container garden.

I enjoyed growing my own food so much, that I frequently dreamed of a house out in the country.  My dreams of a large garden, my own chickens and fruit orchard seemed quite far out of reach for many years.  Yet, now at the age of 47, my dream of a small farm out in the country has come true, just this year.

I can’t explain why growing and preserving food is so fulfilling for me.  My childhood didn’t include this kind of thing.  Growing up in the South, I did a lot of fishing and orange squeezing, but no gardening to speak of.

With a large family, you might wonder how I have the time to garden.  Quite frankly, I don’t have time not to garden.  Let me explain.  Life is pretty busy with 9 children, ages 24 down to age 3.  My days are full to the max and my mind is on overload most of the time.  Serving and ministering to the needs of my family are my first priority.

Here’s the secret, though.  Mom can’t give 24/7 and not nourish her own soul. 

I can’t afford not to take care of my own needs.

The risk would be complete burn-out, thus rendering me useless to anyone, including myself. Balance must be present in my life, it’s not optional if I am to stay emotionally healthy and motivated each day.

While I would like to be in my garden every hour of the day with my little ones, life doesn’t work that way.  However, first thing in the morning, before anyone is up, I take a quick stroll to the garden and turn my compost.  I may water my fruit trees and then come in for coffee and dishwasher duty.

Later in the morning, after homeschooling and chores are done, I’ll walk out there again and pull a few weeds as I listen to the birds.  There’s always a toad or a butterfly to greet me, which only takes a few minutes.

In the early evening, I may send a child out to pick some lettuce and tomato for dinner. The taste of home-grown tomatoes is unbelievable.

Finally, after our evening meal, I’ll take the compost bucket out to be emptied.  Bending over to pull a weed or two is my usual habit.

I know what energizes and balances me and I make time for it in my life.

Fortunately, my entire family benefits from the fresh food and I enjoy the satisfaction of gardening.  Win/Win!

Kelly Morris is a wife and mother to 9 children, 6 biological and 3 adopted, living in small town Ohio.  She can often be found blogging, writing, reading, cooking, gardening, digital scrapbooking and drinking good coffee.  Kelly authors “The Morristribe: Creating Balance for Busy Moms” and loves helping other moms find balance in their lives.

Joining the Inner Mean Girl Reform School team with Christine Arylo and Amy Ahlers has been a life changing experience. Working and learning from Christine and Amy has been awe-inspiring. Listening to their passion sends radiant sparks of happiness throughout my body.

And the opportunities I’m receiving are fabulous. I’m officially the Chief Self-Love Ambassador for the FREE Inner Mean Girl Cleanse.  And, I helped launch the 40-Day Cleanse by hosting the wildly successful Inner Mean Girl Twitter Party (#IMGParty)

I invite you to join me and over 7000 women as we give up 6 of the most self-sabotaging habits of our Inner Mean Girls!  To join me for this FREE cleanse, go to http://www.meangirlcleanse.com.

Here’s My Day 1 Vlog…

(w/ some cameo appearances from my boys)

Join me during the Inner Mean Girl 40-Day Challenge!

Did you miss the live call with SARK? No worries. You will receive your the recording after you register.

Christine Arylo and Amy Ahlers over at the Inner Mean Girl Reform School, are so full of enthusiasm and joy knowing over 7,000 women are participating in this Inner Mean Girl 40-Day Cleanse.

This post is part 1 of a 6-week Round Up series. I will be linking to the adventures of Self-Love Ambassadors as they participate in the FREE Inner Mean Girl 40-Day Cleanse. If you like what you see, we’d love to have you join the free Self-Love Ambassador Program and help us create an Inner Mean Girl Revolution!

Did you know? You can join the Inner Mean Girl Cleanse at any time during the 40-day program and still get full access. After September 30th, there will be a fee for the 40-day cleanse.

Seriously, it’s never too late to stop being so hard on yourself.

1. You May Be A Gossip and Not Even Know It! by Christine Arylo
2. Do You Have An Inner Mean Girl? by Jennifer Gaffney
3. Taming Your Inner Mean Girl by Julie Parker
4. I Have an Inner Mean Girl and I Hate Her by Connie Roberts
5. Is Your Inner Mean Girl Sabotaging You? by Janice Smith
6. Say Goodbye to Your Inner Mean Girl by Dina Tibbs
7. We All Have an Inner Mean Girl by Kim Shipley
8. Inner Mean Girl Cleanse and My Journey by Dawna Kreis
9. I’m Entering Inner Mean Girl Reform School by Daenel Vaughn-Tucker
10. Lies Women Tell Themselves by Nicole Greene
11. Me Versus My Inner Mean Girl by Andrea Ledbetter
12. Inner Mean Girl Cleanse by Nicky Smolter
13. Inner Mean Girl Reform School by Christine Leiser Schroeder
14. Free 40-Day Inner Mean Girl Cleanse by Gretchen Casey
15. Sisterhood Versus Mean Girls by Thien-Kim Lam
16. Silence Your Inner Mean Girl by Julie Hedlund
17. Join Me in 40-Day Inner Mean Girl Cleanse by Bing Yuan
18. Pursuing Fulfillment With The Inner Mean Girl Cleanse by Mary Davis
19. Inner Mean Girl Reform School by Vicki Garcia
20. The Inner Mean Girl Cleanse by Cindy Jones Lantier
21. Warning: Inner Mean Girl Alert by Rachel Hull
22. Sending My Inner Mean Girl Packing by Beki Berrey
23. Woo-Hoo for Wednesday by C.mom
24. Mean Girl Detox by Amy Lock
25. 40-Day Inner Mean Girl Reform School by Kim Knight
26. Self Love Ambassador by Amanda

Yes, yes, yes…I know I need to write a blog post telling you all about my experience working with Christine, Amy, and the entire Inner Mean Girl team! I’ve just been so busy living in the moment of all this love that I haven’t settled back down to Earth yet. Christine and Amy are such bright lights in my life and I’m so happy to officially be the Chief Self-Love Ambassador for the Inner Mean Girl 40-Day Cleanse.

Will You Join Me?
Together We Can Create an Inner Mean Girl Revolution!

“A little to the left! More…more! Okay, that’s–nope. More to the left, again!” Atop their camping haven alongside the Kern River stood the fifth member of the grizzled crew, slowly adjusting a military grade antenna attached to a 20 foot pole. As the other four men waved and shouted, the man on the roof waved the pole high over the edge of the RV in a determined attempt to score more than one bar of Internet reception. All their “hard work” actually garnered incredulous stares from two women walking past to their own tent.

Why five techno-weenies thought fishing in the middle of reception hell would be a good idea, I’ll never know. I mean, these are guys whose idea of a good time is getting together with their pimped-up laptops and playing World of Warcraft in a Silicon Valley living room. Luddites they are not, I assure you. All I could think was why couldn’t my husband just fish like other guys and leave the darn gadgets at home?

Don’t get me wrong. I love my computer. No, really. I love it. Even when I have no freaking idea how to do what I want to do with this contraption, I sometimes sit back and scratch my head in wonder that I live in the Age of Amazing Devices.

Or maybe it should be called Amazing Device Distraction.

After all, we’ve lost the ability to pay attention to details (like spelling–and this despite spell check!); we don’t listen when spoken to because we’ve got our faces absorbed in a screen of some sort; we don’t follow instructions carefully (teachers and people in human service jobs go bonkers when people don’t read directions on paperwork); we blurt out answers like we’re rushing to win a game show; and we can’t take turns either. (Come on, be honest. Did you keep someone from merging into your lane on the freeway today because you couldn’t stand the thought of one more car in front of you in traffic?) These are all common signs and symptoms of Device Distraction.

And it’s keeping us from chilling out.

We have so much information coming to us on a daily basis–both information we choose to accept (the news, a favorite video game, Facebook, or email) and information we’re bombarded with regardless of our level of interest (commercials, billboards, website ads, the ubiquitous sports game playing on a flat screen at just about every bar in town). Sometimes its information at work, or school; even the massive amounts of attention we give to driving in traffic each day can wear us down. And yet when we come home, we flip on the TV and/or our cell phones and/or our computers and we voluntarily bombard ourselves some more.

Many of us have forgotten how to mentally relax.

Here are 5 Suggestions for Giving Your Brain a Rest:

1. Put the smart phone down. And the TV controller, keyboard, and iPod. If you have to sit and wait for something, just sit. It’s actually good for your mind to wander. You know how you suddenly remember something important just as you’re falling asleep at night? Resting your mind gives you a chance to process all of the information that has been bombarding it throughout the day. It’s as important as letting your body relax. It’s healthy for children to be bored–it gets their brain juices flowing and helps them figure out what they really want to do. The same is true for adults. For a writer or great thinker, daydreaming can even open windows into a creative wonderland. So go ahead. Be bored. (Just don’t whine about it like my kids do, okay?)

2. Go outside. There is something very clarifying about being outdoors. My sister-in-law was having trouble writing something, so she put her work down and went for a walk. Halfway down the street, she figured out the answer to her problem. Human brains developed in response to environmental stimuli, not computers and televisions, which is why we “wake up” when we go outside. Besides, Americans are woefully vitamin D deficient–you need the sunshine, sister.

3. Write with pen and paper. Doodle during a phone meeting, leave a love note on your sweetie’s pillow, send a snail mail letter. Your wrists will thank you for not giving them carpal tunnel syndrome, your eyes will thank you for the break from screen lights, and your mind will focus differently.

4. Exercise. Moving your body gives some parts of your brain a rest and activates others. It pumps you full of endorphins, the happy-happy chemicals. It relaxes your body and helps you to sleep better. I could go on and on with the benefits, but suffice it to say, exercise is great for clearing your mind and helping you relax. One caveat: try not to exercise in front of a television.

5. Play! Okay, so whatever happened to recess? Somewhere around 7th grade, play time disappeared and many of us forgot how to have fun. (Maybe this is why our teenagers are so crazy?) There are loads of research studies on the importance of play for adults: it connects us to one another, helps us think creatively, reduces stress, and makes us laugh. (Check out this website for a really fantastic discussion on the benefits of play.) Besides, it’s just plain fun.

There are so many ways to reduce Device Distraction, but the first and foremost is to walk away from those devices for a while. Make time for them if you must, but be sure to also make time for a little non-electronic interaction.

Need one more justification? You’re using less electricity and potentially saving the world.

How do you mentally relax?
Share your suggestions in the comments. I’ll be back tomorrow to check in…I’m going to go settle in with a good book and a cup of tea.

SARK (best-selling author of Succulent Wild Woman), Christine Arylo, Amy Ahlers, and I invite you to join women around the web for our first Inner Mean Girl Party on Twitter Wednesday, August 25, from 10-11am PST  / 1-2pm EST / 5-6pm GMT.  It’s going to be a virtual party taking place during the live Inner Mean Girl Cleanse launch call with SARK.

It’s a perfect start to a 40 day adventure to reclaim our power back from our Inner Mean Girls and create more love for ourselves! Go here if you have not already signed up for the Inner Mean Girl 40-Day Cleanse.

You will also have a chance to win some fabulous prizes during the party.

How to Participate

1. Follow along and play at Tweet Grid or Twitter Search
2. Join the party by tweeting using the hashtag #IMGParty.
3. Have fun, meet new friends, and win prizes.

During the Inner Mean Girl party on Twitter we will be asking you questions relating to your own Inner Mean Girl. Answer the questions for your chance to win a prize.

You could win…

• A Fall Inner Mean Girl Reform School Ticket ($397 value)
• One BlogHer 2011 Full Conference Pass ($198 value)
• The Goal Setting for Success eCourse ($179 value)
• The Summer of Self Love Home Study Course ($97 value)
• An Audio Copy of Best of The Women Masters 2009 ($75 value)
• An Audio Copy of Self Love Studio – ($30 value)
• The Magical Journeys with SARK eProgram ($19 value)

How to Win

RSVP below and participate in the Twitter Party.

Extra Entries

Leave a separate comment for each of the following entries.

1. Tweet about the Inner Mean Girl Twitter Party. Write your own tweet or use the following…

Join me for the Inner Mean Girl Twitter Party 8/25 at 1pm EST. http://ht.ly/2ugsf #IMGParty

2. Tweet about the prize you want to win at the Inner Mean Girl Twitter Party. Write your own tweet or use the following example…

I want to win the #BlogHer11 Full Conference Pass at the Inner Mean Girl Twitter Party 8/25 at 1pm EST. http://ht.ly/2ugsf #IMGParty

I’m so excited to be hosting this Twitter party for SARK, Christine, and Amy. Please RSVP below with your twitter ID to be eligible to win prizes. You will also need to follow @momrenewal, @christinearylo, @wakeupcallcoach and@susanakasark.

Looking forward to tweeting with you on Wednesday, August 25, from 10-11am PST  / 1-2pm EST / 5-6pm GMT to celebrate Day 1 of the Inner Mean Girl Cleanse! And remember the party continues here.

Join the Self-Love Ambassador Program and
Help Us Create an Inner Mean Girl Revolution!

This post was originally published on Chicago Moms Blog.

As I begin to get my 6 year old ready for first grade, I understand (intellectually) that I want him to experience everything school has to offer academically, socially, and emotionally. What I’m realizing, however, is watching him learn social and emotional skills (skills taught when there are disagreements on the playground and when fighting happens during free play) can sometimes be too much for me to handle as a mom.

My inner voice juggles the following conversation “I want to protect him versus he needs to experience all aspects of kindergarten, including social conflicts in his classroom.” I know I can’t keep him in a bubble, but when I see his feelings hurt, my Mother Hen instincts go into overdrive. I find myself resisting the urge to be an overprotective and interfering mom.

Instead of being overprotective, I want to provide him with the right tools so he can be respectfully assertive, so he can have self-respect, and so he can communicate how he feels with others in an appropriate, non-passive, and non-aggressive way.

It’s far too easy to get so caught up in the daily grind of motherhood, that we lose ourselves. Doing for others takes us away from doing for ourselves. Or does it?

My first pregnancy was tough. I was a 40+ mom (the medical term is elderly primigravida for a woman in her first pregnancy, who is at least 35 years old – made me feel so vibrant and pretty!) with a fibroid the size of a basketball. I was unable to continue full-time work (although I did temp a bit), but I knew I’d go bonkers if I didn’t do something more stimulating than getting ready for the baby and taking care of the house. I mean, housework just isn’t that exciting, contrary to what Martha Stewart might have us believe, and one could really go insane researching baby-related stuff. I needed to keep my mind focused on something other than myself and the life growing inside me. I decided that volunteering was the way to go. The question was: how to find the right volunteer opportunity?

I thought about my criteria:

1. The opportunity had to be something I could enjoy. If it wasn’t going to be fun, why do it?

2. It had to be something I could do after the baby was born to keep my mind stimulated beyond Elmo, thus, it had to be something I was interested in.

3. It needed to be something I could do at leisure, but on a deadline so I would do it. Accountability was important.

4. It had to be something that would look good on a resume.

5. I needed to be in contact with people I would enjoy. Organizational politics give me indigestion and I had enough of that with the kid in my stomach.

Ok, so something fun with just a hint of pressure so I’d actually do it. But where to find such a thing? I turned to www.volunteermatch.org where I was able to search for opportunities according to my geographic area and interests. After narrowing down my prospects, I interviewed for the one I liked and nailed the position (writing a computer newsletter for a senior citizens’ group). I’ve been doing it for a decade now. Not only does it meet the criteria above, but:

• It has nothing to do with kids. Let me repeat: NOTHING to do with kids. Zilch, zero, nada. It has nothing to do with PTA or school activities. My volunteer job makes me think beyond my world.




• It requires some research, so I’m always learning.




• I’m actually helping people. Seniors need to be connected to others and computers are vital to being connected.




• I’m able to do it virtually and the people I do communicate with are extremely supportive. I made it clear early on that family came first. The group has wholeheartedly respected that. Any pressure comes from my desire to do well and meet deadlines.

Volunteering reconnects me with the competent, semi-rational adult I was before I had children. By thinking of people outside my immediate world, by changing the direction I’m facing, I keep what’s left of my sanity and avoid motherhood burnout.

L. Klonsky can be found at www.newjerseymomsblog.com and http://momscrayon.blogspot.com