Tag Archives: being present

Mindful and Intentional

Posted in Gratitude, Happiness, positive living, simple living by

What if you are intentional and mindful through out your day?  I think you then have SuPeR pOwErS!!

ML reminded me to stay intentional today and to make my list for the day after we got back from our walk.  She said that she liked my blog the other day and was practicing being intentional too and felt so good getting so many things done.  I took her advice and made a list as soon as I walked in the door.  THIS little practice is AMAZING!!

By being intentional with my 2 extra bonus hours, I got so much done and was really efficient, which made me very happy.  I didn’t waste any time and my house was clean, errands were run and dinner was in the crockpot, all before work.

I’ve taught my kids to live in the moment and to enjoy what life brings and to not be too busy to play, despite our workloads. So when I found our missing Spikeball game and had it displayed in our living room when they came home, they decided it was time to go outside and play. I was instructed to log off my computer and to take a break. They’re teaching me what I’ve taught them, which means I think they’re learning. 😉 Of course, I went outside and enjoyed my big kids, thankful that they still want to go outside and play and with me!  After we were done playing, I  went back inside to finish up work for the day. Luckily dinner was ready for them in the crockpot and they’re becoming more and more independent.  I’m liking this new stage of life.

I’ll share one more mindful moment that made my day wonderful. I took a shower later this evening before dinner. The sun was shining perfectly through the window and lit up the bathroom. The lighting was glorious and I remembered my college psychology teacher, telling us to try to be present in the moment and the example of when you’re showering, to be fully present in the shower. She said to feel the water hitting your body. Listen to the water sounds. Feel the warmth and enjoy the entire experience of showering without thinking of anything else. I practiced this and loved it, closing my eyes and seeing the brightness through my closed eyes and feeling grateful. Being mindful and enjoying the present moment in the shower set the tone for the rest of my evening. The stress washed away and made for a great night.

How are you practicing setting intentions and being mindful? You have Super Powers! Are you using them too?

nAMaste and wishing you peace.

 

 

 

 

 

Lockdown

Posted in family, fear, one love, parenting by

“we’re in lockdown”

These are not words you want to receive from your daughter and son.

“i’m scared”

Me too.

The lockdown didn’t last long. Just long enough for adrenaline to rush through my veins and to leave me shaken again. Vulnerable. Afraid. Helpless. Nervous. Scared. Angry.

“we’re on the ground”

Stay calm. Breathe. Do what they tell you and cooperate. Fight if you have to.

What the hell are these words?

I hated this afternoon. I hated the feelings that some teenager walking with a toy gun created for our family, our friends and our community.

Luckily they were freed and everyone was safe and physically unharmed. Emotionally, I still don’t feel good, even though the situation didn’t last very long. I felt helpless and mad that my kids had to experience this fear and had to lie on the ground without knowing if they were safe or not, while I helplessly waited for their homecoming.

When they came home, I cried and hugged them and cleared my schedule. I was thankful that the local police had the situation under control immediately and the kids were freed to come home to their worried mama, who was texting and calling and searching for answers while I anxiously waited.

When they came home, we all sat on the couch and watched Gilmore Girls on Netflix. We didn’t stress about dinner or homework. Afterwards, Juliana and I went to relax and got pedicures together, on a Monday at dinner time, instead. This made me happy.

Hug your kids and loved ones and enjoy the shared moments.

nAMaste BeLoveRs. Carry on. All is well.

 

 

 

 

 

The Best Part 

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This was the best part of my day.

Charlie’s eye ball.

  
It was the best part because he was sitting right next to me as we watched Juliana play water polo and I had fun taking pictures of him. He was the one who took my phone and cropped and focused the new photo on just his eye ball. I loved his creativity and truly saw him sitting next to me.

I loved being at the pool with all my kids. I loved being in the sunshine and watching my kids play, while talking with my girlfriends and having my little buddy by my side. 

I truly loved this and was fully aware and present in this moment. Sometimes my mind is preoccupied, but today I was aware and thankful.

Again, I was missing Chase and knew in my heart that I needed to be grateful for all that is good and to be present and to enjoy my chaotic life. And so I did.

Life is good.

What was your favorite part of the day?

I Said, He Said

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I said you needed 3 people to play Twister. 

He said you only needed 2.  

I said 2 wasn’t possible nor would it be any fun. 

He said 2 was plenty and we could play yoga, since I didn’t get to my class today.

I was then curious.

He was right.

Thank God I listened to him. He made my day.     
   He also got me outside to shoot some baskets instead of cleaning. Man, is he smart. 

I thanked him for making me play today when I thought otherwise. 

He said I was welcome.

I love him. 

He loves me.

Life is so simple.

The Sabbath 

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How did you rest today?

Did you slow down and enjoy a special moment with someone or something you love?

The message for today was not to hurry. I had to think about this one for awhile and wondered what that would look like and feel like to slow down. I always feel like I am in a hurry and juggling several things at once. I want to go, go, go, and don’t want to stop until bed time.

What happens when you don’t hurry?

I decided to practice today, since it was the sabbath, a day of rest.

As we were leaving church today, a gentleman decided he wanted to talk with us. We did not know him, yet his eyes sparkled and he wanted to share his story with us. Since we weren’t in a hurry, we listened. And we listened until everyone around us left. We walked outside and we listened some more. He had a lot to share and was very interesting and friendly. Plus, we weren’t in a hurry and we felt the presence of the moment and just being together in conversation, sharing stories and feeling good.

Juliana and I went shopping after lunch and we took our time. We weren’t in a rush and we were able to find what we were seeking.  I wanted to hurry home and be done, but instead we slowed down. I smiled at people and shared stories. One girl gave me an extra 10% off my order, maybe because I was not in a hurry and was present for a real moment in the check out line with her, asking her personal questions. I was actually enjoying the slower process and talking to people. I saw the workers differently and appreciated their service and hearing their stories too. 

I feel like if we slow down and see people and connect, maybe we can make this world a little less hectic and discover what we have in common and smile and share a laugh.  

Hmm…that’s what happened to me today and I loved it.  How about you? What happens when you slow down?

Having Fun Just Because We Can

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I had to take Juliana to an appointment today and as we were leaving I noticed this fun sculpture and asked J if she wanted to play on it. 

Her initial reaction was, “right now?” and of course I said, “yes, it’s not like we’re coming back here tomorrow and the moment is now. It’s right in front of us and looks like fun.  Are you in?”

She didn’t hesitate for long and humored me for a little minute.  

   
       

I love this kid in so many ways and love that she’ll still play with me. I loved the sculpture and the trees and the lighting too. 

On to another subject, we had our first successful pasta night and I loved it. I loved having all the kids together and all the parents too.  I loved that everyone brought something to share, especially fresh tulips.  Thank you friends for sharing the night with me and for the wine and goodies.  I love this!!

 
Hope you have a great, relaxing weekend!  NamASTE. 

Crazy Days and Going with the Flow

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Today was crazy busy in a good kind of way and I am exhausted and thankful. 

Juliana had shared a BuzzFeed with me about clean eating recipes for two weeks. One recipe luckily caught my eye and was the idea that became dinner tonight.

I got to the gym and did a lot of shopping. In between shopping trips, I threw chicken breasts and salsa verde into the crockpot and showered before heading out again with my wet curly hair.

I zipped through the last store and dropped off the groceries before heading out again for a meeting. 

And the rest of the day took over from there. I forgot an appointment and had to rush around and try to still squeeze it in.  Christian decided when I picked him up that he needed to do some extra swimming and could I please bring him to the pool. It wasn’t on my plan either, but I went with it and squeezed the pool visit in too.  This was a highlight of my day. I loved just  watching him swim and sitting in the sunshine by myself. 

   
 

I told him we had to hurry though because I had to bring Charlie and his friend to their appointment.

We made it out of the pool and home on time to pick up the boys and get them to where they needed to be. Juliana decided she wanted to drive with me to drop them off. After we dropped the boys off, she didn’t want to go home just yet because she knew I would be distracted by all of the things still left on my to do list and she wanted time alone together.

Okay, when your teenage daughter decides she wants to spend time with you,  you don’t say no. Of course, I had a huge list of things I wanted to do in the next hour, like folding laundry and finishing dinner and tidying up a little bit and returning phone calls and emails. But I let it all go and enjoyed the moment with her. This was the best choice, even if I did have a quiet moment of anxiety before getting to yes. She makes me smile and I love being with her and am thankful she wanted to be together. 

So dinner was a little later tonight and the side dishes weren’t prepared, but we had plenty of leftovers to go with the yummy, light chicken that cooked itself in the crockpot. I love that magical pot.

The kitchen got cleaned and most of the clutter picked up, just a little later than usual. The laundry? It’s still sitting there and can wait until tomorrow. 

Happy kids, happy (tired) mom.  

Life is crazy and good! 

nAMaste and good night. xo

Play and Rest

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You never know what you’ll learn at the farm. 

     
These baby goats remind us to stop and play and rest and it’s always more fun with a friend!

 
A little sunshine is good for the soul.

 

A beautiful path is right in front of us if we choose to see it.

I love the bright, orange, California poppies. What do you see that you love? 

xo

Adriana

Yoga Mafia 

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Here I Am… with the Yoga Mafia in Cabo.  

I love these girls and this moment for so many reasons and am incredibly happy.  Thank you SQ for choosing all of us to be with you on this yoga retreat. 

These women are amazingly strong, kind, fit, funny, gorgeous and just awesome! They are fiercely supportive of one another and work hard and are passionate about yoga and having a good time together in the most relaxed way.  I LOVED being with all of them for a few days in the sun again, doing yoga every day and also doing nothing together too, just being content with the stillness of being present in the same beautiful space.

Yoga is a continuous practice and we are always learning and challenging our bodies and our minds to do more and to go deeper and to rise up and to find balance. It helps us to be okay being perfectly imperfect and to not judge ourselves yet to keep pushing our own personal boundaries and limits. It teaches us mindfulness and to be present, focused on our breathe as we try to master different poses. 

I am so thankful that I was able to practice with the most amazing Yogis I’ve ever seen in beautiful Cabo San Lucas. They are truly inspiring, don’t you think?

 

nAMaste