So over the past week two things happened in my family that were a big reminder for us to slow down. 

One, there was a knock at the door and so I jumped up from the sofa and managed to kick one of the wooden legs on my ottoman resulting in a badly sprained baby toe. Have you ever done this? I can’t believe how much pain one tiny little toe can cause. It totally threw off my equilibrium and slowed me right down. I’m finally starting to feel like I’m back to my normal pace but my toe is still swollen and sore and it sure let’s me know if I’m doing something I shouldn’t be.

And the other happened to my partner Deryk. He was traveling home from work...

Earlier this past week my partner Deryk and I talked about changing bedtimes for our children. The girls have been getting up far too early and since most nights I don't get to bed until 11pm that means I'm not getting the sleep I need. And I hate to admit when I'm tired, I like to only give energy and gratitude for sleep and being well rested even when it's not true. Right. The law of attraction...and we have to be careful how much energy we give to the things we actually don't want in our lives.

So this past week our youngest went to bed 30 minutes later, our new bedtime plan and the following morning she woke up at 4:30am, fifteen minutes earlier that she had been. Like wide awake.

And so that morning and the early mornings that have followed make us feel like the effort we're putting in, isn't producing positive results. And that can get frustrating. This has even started to affect my relationship with Deryk. We're both exhausted and fighting each other on who deserves to sleep in more.

So here's how I look at this and I hope maybe if you're in a place of overwhelm or exhaustion you can benefit from this as well.

Okay. Total confession. Last Sunday before I recorded my podcast I scarfed down 4 caramel truffle cookies. They were sooo good. And I probably would've had more but that's all that we're left. Which means that the other time I indulged I had 8...just two days before. And this is huge. Not just that I ate them but that I'm telling you.

The habit of eating this way isn't new and has happened before. It started up again when I decided to treat myself once in a while, looking again for balance, and realized again that I'm back to an all or nothing mentality surrounding treats.  I'm having a really hard time finding the balance and I'd love to indulge once in a while. But sugar craves more sugar and I want the whole cake or all the cookies.

So this is something that I've been aware of and have been absorbing and reflecting on for a while.  I've come to realize this is something that I need to work on in a bigger way than before.  I trust where I am and I don't feel resentful or disgusted with myself anymore, just aware.  

When I'm totally honest with myself, I know that I feel my best when I have control over the food that I put in my body.

Did anyone else feel a bit overwhelmed this past week with getting kids off to school and lunches and new routines and schedules and dealing with all the emotions your little ones were feeling? My 4 year old cried at least 4 times about school this past week. And that takes a big tole on our hearts, I know it did mine.  And there was even a full moon this past week so that was a combination of excited and nervous energy all over the place.  So I hope that you've been patient with yourself and that you havealso had some time to give yourself some self love. I've been able to keep my morning gym routine for the most part, so I'm grateful for that.  Our days are a little shifted now.  A couple of days I had to wait for my youngest to wake up from her nap and she fell asleep in the car because this is all new for her too. And our times have shifted a bit. But I'm taking time for myself and going easy on myself.  Actually on Reese's first day of school I skipped my workout and just enjoyed the sauna and then a coffee. I was exhausted from the crying as I had to have my daughter pried off my leg and the teacher said "don't look back, just keep going" and I had to walk away from a really sad four year old who didn't want to go to school.

Anyways I'm feeling much more hopeful for this week. It's not new anymore and now it's just about adjusting...

I ran into a woman the other day who was struggling with two kids while getting a cheese croissant at Tim Horton's. We were in the super centre plaza and so when she apologized to me for her double stroller I said "trust me. I get it. I have two kids also. Mine are up in the gym daycare so I can do this easily". I share that little secret with as many moms as I can because truly it's what makes my life easier and makes me feel strong instead of easily defeated. So it turns out she goes to the same gym and had just picked her kids up but didn't realize that our particular gym, being a Goodlife inside of a shopping center will also watch your kids while you grocery shop, which I take advantage of weekly and in this case while I made a quick run for coffee.

And somehow this sweet woman felt safe to tell me how hard things have been for her and how she felt like her husband wasn't doing anything. And I'm so glad she did. Because what I told her made her feel better.

So I'm going to share with all of you the message I shared with her.  I know she walked away feeling stronger and I hope you can take something from this also.

Life isn't easy.

So this podcast is extra exciting...I'll be doing my first book giveaway! I'll let you know how you can win a copy of Szen Zone By Gary Szenderski at the end, so keep listening for details!!  And so for today's podcast I'll be reading stories from this fantastic book. It's a positive take on life and all its possibilities...with a goal to help us recognize our true power. We can truly be anything and we have the power in us to create the life we want. The Szen Zone aims to helps us through all aspects of change, to create, survive and manage our lives even when we don't feel like we have the control.

Alright. September is right around the corner.  And that's back to school if you have little ones, or in my case my 4 year old is starting JK this year so this is a brand new ball game for us. And one that I'm both excited for and a bit nervous for, I'll be honest. And perhaps you're feeling the same way.

But as I don't like to give energy to what I don't want, I try not to think of my tiny daughter being lost in a classroom with 30 other kids. Instead I focus on the friendships she'll make and the fun she'll have. And we've been talking for months about all the incredible things that she'll be learning. All the questions she's been asking that I don't have answers to, I always tell her how amazing school is and how all of those answers will be found there.

And, with the start of the school year comes packing a lunch. And for some of you this might be stressful...

Last week I went for a hike with two of my work friends. The three of us have so much in common and have so much fun together and while we picked the hottest day of the summer practically to go, I'm so grateful that we made the time. If you've never been to Mount Nemo in North Burlington, you may want to check it out. It's breathtakingly beautiful. And making time for friends is so good for your soul. I definitely walked away feeling lighter and inspired.

My one friend is a nutritionist and I've started spending more time with her. She's brilliant and I adore her. I recently went to visit her at her home where she did a pendulum reading on me which was super interesting...it let me know what chakras were blocked and gave me valuable insight to reflect on.  Anyways that's a whole other podcast but she made a comment about intentionally making the decision to cultivate closer female relationships and how amazing those new relationships are. I asked her to explain a bit more and here's what she said...

So I was watching a documentary last night called "Minimalism." It's about two guys who are spreading the word that living with less stuff leads to greater happiness and more fulfilled lives. And It's brilliant. The takeaway at the end was great. One guy said "Love people. Use things. The opposite never works.”  How true is that?!

One of the red flags that came up while watching was when one of the guys said, and I'm just paraphrasing... The average person is checking theirphone approximately 150 times a day...

For those of you new to listening to this podcast, I am a 5-7 day a week gym go'er and I like to add not always for the strenuous workout - but as a mother of two little girls under 5, I always go for a peaceful shower. And most days I'll spend 5- 10 minutes in the sauna before I shower. Sometimes I read, (which I love!) and sometimes I do a tapping exercise (I'll save that explanation for a future podcast) but I always pretend that it's in my house and think about how grateful I am to have a sauna in my home.

And usually the sauna is empty and I'm alone.

But earlier this week, I was greeted by a hello. I sat down and stretched out my legs and began chatting with this lovely woman about the benefits of the sauna...