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Random Thoughts

It Takes A Village

It was Valentines Day and I had made a lunch date with one of my favourite humans at Famoso Pizza. We are sitting at lunch, my youngest son tagging along for the ride.

The table next to us was filled with about 20 firefighters from the Spruce Grove Fire Department. We witnessed a man stand up and choke back a few tears as he made a speech to his retiring captain. It was touching and obvious that this man had made a huge difference in the lives of his team and in the community.

I looked longingly at my son knowing that I owed his life and safety to these brave men.

A couple years ago my son got locked in my vehicle while I was getting his brother out. The door closed and my car lost signal to the keys inside. My car is made to never lock with the keys inside so this was a very, big, problem. I got my one son out while my youngest stayed strapped into his car seat.

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You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide.

I am not neurotypical. I have been diagnosed with ADHD, ED, LMNOP… Depression, anxiety and others I don’t know enough about to write about quite yet. Along with these letters, each one carries their own unique symptoms I deal with on a daily basis and while I try not to let diagnoses define who I am, it has been pretty clear that my diagnosis are something I can’t ignore. Also, LMNOP is not a real diagnoses, before we go any further.

When I was in my 20’s I played the game with myself where I decided I would not let my past effect my future. That I would not “dwell” in it and that anything I had gone through before was not going to shape who I was. This led me onto several unsavory paths that definitely shaped who I am if my diagnoses didn’t. Ignoring your symptoms is pretty impossible. While you think you are ignoring them, what you’re actually doing is pushing away anyone effected by your symptoms and bringing in people who have the same symptoms as you in the guise of “understanding” and “relating”. Let me tell you something, two unstable people does not a stable relationship make. In time, your life becomes chaos. The people in it are causing chaos by mirroring what you’re going through and dragging you down with them. The people you should have in your life that love you, you subconsciously push away in order to protect them. Or, you’re too afraid to hear the truth and be faced with the consequences of your own decisions. The decision that you were going to ignore your symptoms.

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Use the Fancy Dishes

We got married young. Really young. Like so young that now when I see people that are 21 I can’t believe that I was already married and expecting our first child young. Neither of us brought a lot of stuff coming into the marriage. We both lived on our own for a bit but when you’re a poor student you don’t exactly have the nicest things.

So when we got engaged I was REALLY excited about the registry part. I know I know I should have been thinking about marrying the love of my life blah bah blah. But what I really was excited for was two things:

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Anxiety Strikes…..Again

My anxiety seemed to be managed and I was doing so well for a long time.

Well, you know how that goes. Life happens. Family issues pop up, especially around the holidays. I got busy and missed a few days of my medication and boom. The insecurities, the irrational thinking, the fear, all come on and it feels like I’m drowning again.

And you would THINK you would notice this in yourself but in my case I didn’t. I had to have a friend give a good swift kick and say – Ok, what’s up – you haven’t been like this in a long time. Then it dawns on me, and I remember missing days. And my Dr. has said that particularly stressful times will make my anxiety “flare up” but there is also the issue of time.

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Running for Mamas

Running.

It seems like a simple activity that we should all be able to do right?  It is cheap, can be done at any time, and doesn’t take any equipment other than shoes.  

Most women that I work with feel really frustrated when it comes to running because just doesn’t feel good.  They leak, they have back, hip, pelvic and/or leg pain, or it just feels awful on their bodies.  

Lots of Mamas I meet love running and want to return to running races or plan a getaway for a destination race.  Some just want to get out for a run a couple of times a week for fitness and for the mental break. Many want to run with their kids and not be stuck on the sidelines watching as their kids grow.  

The most common strategy that I see women take with running is to take it slow.  They start with a slow 20-30 minute jog around the block with plans to work their way up to longer or faster runs.  

And I totally understand why!  I made the same mistake myself nearly 9 years ago when I returned to running after my first baby Avery was born.  

This approach misses a few KEY strategies though, which is why many women find it hard to get past this distance or they quit all together.   

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truLocal = Truly Convenient + {Discount Code}

The Mamas love local and we hate grocery shopping.

So, when we learned about truLocal at the Edmonton Home and Garden show, we were intrigued!

Upon further investigation we learned that the basic idea is that they source LOCAL meat and deliver it to your door. Yes, it is subscription based BUT you choose your frequency. You can skip boxes – even pause or cancel at any time – no strings!

It was a real treat getting the box and seeing exactly where the items came from in Alberta. For example these DELISH steaks from Fort MacLeod.

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Hustle is Stupid

I’ve been working as an entrepreneur/mompreneur/freelancer/contractor/business owner whatever you want to call it, for over ten years. I’ve had big clients, tiny clients, and big projects and projects from hell and everything in between. I can say, unequivocally, from my 10 years of trying to make money while raising a family and trying to be a regular human that the “hustle” … is stupid.

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20 Activities to Keep Kids Busy During the Cold Snap

Ideas for Indoor Activities for Kids

With Alberta under an extreme cold snap right now we are sure you are feeling a little cabin fever. Being inside all the time can really take a toll on kids (and parents too!). Here’s a list of some fun and easy things to do with the kids without leaving the house this week.

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4 Truths I Try To Live By

I would not categorize myself as a giver of great advice, a life coach or motivational speaker but I will tell you that over my 39 years I’ve discovered a few great truths to live by.

I’ve not overcome any great challenges, but I have overcome many small ones. Breaking cycles, making choices based not on what I’ve learned early on but what I see makes other people whole, happy and admirable. I thought you might enjoy or maybe even be inspired by My Truths.

1. Hate and anger really are poison.

You don’t hurt anyone but yourself when you hang on to it. The person your anger is aimed at is more than likely not going to change just because you’re mad at them. You on the other hand have a choice not to allow whatever it is to rule your choices because 9 times out of 10 when you make choices based on anger, resentment and vengeance you make the wrong one.

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