Things To Love ~ besides the little ones & the hubby

Recently, I'm being kind to myself. Really. Maybe I should have been doing these things all along.

1) I'm reading. Even if it is just a few minutes a day ~ I'm doing it. I have two busy boys, a lot of laundry, a compulsive impulse to have a tidy and germ-free house, a full-time (pretty much) home business which includes a lot of painting and such, and the tactics of a saboteur (sabotaging myself in relation to goals and sleep). But when I realized that I had put away this inch-and-a-half book in less than 2 weeks I was inspired.

Broken For You, by Stephanie Kallos ~ really good. And clearly I have time to read, right?

Tonite I started: Life's Work, Confessions of an Unbalanced Mom, by Lisa Belkin

2) I'm browsing for art I like. I always said that when I had a house I loved, I wanted to decorate it with art that I loved, and art from my artist friends. I'm doing so (because I finally love my house).

Barbara Paanakker's Elephant Exhibit hangs proudly in my hallway ~ the morning light graces it and reveals the beautiful textures.









I await this beautiful print (left) from artist Susana Tavares which I will proudly hang. Susana lives in Portugal. ©SusanaTavares.etsy.com

3) I'm taking time to watch a bit of television. Hulu, to be precise. My actual television treats me to MarioKart with my little ones, but that is all, besides the occasional movie on the couch with the hubby. We like Hulu; no commercials, pick and choose ;) Parenthood, The Office & Modern Family are the ones I like.

4) I'm cooking healthful meals. Get that: I'm Cooking! Yes! When you eat healthy you have energy ~ and said energy can then be recycled into cooking more healthy meals! It seems so simple. But it certainly is not. We do our best. I love smoothies packed with spinach, apples, lots of bananas, orange juice, vitamin c, frozen blueberries and strawberries and I just started adding Goldenseal to help us stay healthy during flu season.

5) I'm buying more unhealthy (but not too unhealthy) treats, too. Freddies Nutrition Center ~ thank you for offering snacks that allow me to be a bit bad, but still good.

6) I'm talking to people I love. Not all of them, just yet, but as many as I can. Skype and the telephone ~ don't forget the value of a smile and the time to listen ~ they remind our loved ones that we care about them. When it comes to those I love, I think about a quote I read years ago (something like) "the tears cried at a grave are tears of regret"... I don't want those tears. Other kinds, yes, but not the regret ones.

7) I'm talking to people I don't know. Lots of them. It is so very fun. I give my smile, kindness and greeting to so many strangers now (that is a tricky subject with my little ones, so I best not get into it with them since I have been promoting Stranger Danger since they were tiny). Well, except that guy on the phone at my hosting company the other day ~ he didn't get my kindness, he got my grumpy attitude and my urge to stand up for myself and not take any crap from anyone. I really should have apologized before we hung up, but I forgot. Sorry man, I know it wasn't your fault.

8) I'm taking breaks from email and computer ~ realize that we sometimes get locked in to feeling our worth based on how many emails/etsy sales/facebook posts & friend requests we get? I'm not turning the computer on in the a.m. until my big boy is at school and my little one and I have had our walk together, it is working for me (of course there are exceptions to this!). Need me before 10:30am? Call me. And, if you are wondering, I am using the wonderful invention of scheduled-publishing, so blog posts can appear in the a.m. while I'm off galavanting.

9) I'm cutting myself slack - in cleaning and work. I'm going to bed with toys on the floor and unfolded laundry (even the wet stuff). I don't stress as much about baths and spots on the floor.

So, this is a start. Life is short. I recently read somewhere, someone said (something like) "when I think about the fact that I will someday be dead, it helps me to..." fill in the blank. Prioritize? Cut some junk from the to-do list? Stress the small stuff a little bit less? Whatever works for you.

So, now, clearly I'm sabotaging, because it is far too late for a mama of 2 early-risers to be tapping away.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Do something nice for yourself, maybe?

Love & Sincerely, Katie

Free Cards Friday ~ Do It Day ~ Something to Ponder

We are spiritual beings having a human experience...

...this is what was printed on the tag of my 5:40am cup of super green tea... this gives me warm and curious ponderisms ;)


Today is DO-IT Day at my house again. Cleaning out the coat/canvas closet, sorting through clothes, doing laundry, dishes and toy managing.

I have a painting I'm itching to work on and finish this weekend ~ and two more to ship, the studio is busy. But there are times when it hits me that I cannot move forward until I do some space-clearing - and this is one of those days.

I summoned my most delighted voice when telling my boys it was Do-it Day today (! yay, smile, cool!) They helped me for about 15 minutes and are now DOing a whole lot of happy playing in their bedrooms. This works for me, too :)

Do you ever feel this way? Where you can't physically, emotionally or professionally move forward until you have a bodacious cleaning and clutter flinging session?

It's Free Cards Friday! Comment on THIS blog post (here at the blog or on the Facebook page) throughout the weekend and be in the running to win some cards ~ I'll choose the winner on Monday.

Love & Sincerely, Katie

BELOW: the 4 available 10x10s in The Forty Minis Collection

Time Well Spent

Day Dream

Honesty


Early Rise




You can find these while available in the Online Etsy Shop.

Free Cards Friday! My Newest Epiphany - so glad I took the time to write it down.

Hi! I'm feeling very domestic today - and so I thought I'd take a quick break for a Friday post.


I had an epiphany last night:

•When I think about what needs to be cleaned, folded, sorted, vacuumed, organized and put away around the house (Home) - I feel fine and get ready to dig in.

•When I think about what needs to be packaged, listed, uploaded, designed, painted, photographed or created in the studio (Studio) - I smile and start making a list.

HOWEVER! When I think about all that needs to be done around the house, then I think about all that needs to be done in the studio/business - my body instantly floods with overwhelm... and I begin bouncing from one area of my life to the other, creating a not-so-good day.

My thought was this - if I channel my thoughts and energy to ONE area of my life at a time, for a period of time ~ Studio or Home (I know it sounds so easy) ~ then I feel far more peaceful and get a whole lot more accomplished.


For instance, I am writing this blog post right now, then going BACK to cleaning, without even checking my email box - because I know that box will grab me by the neck and pull me into a whole new area that I am not ready for just yet this morning :)


Those who know me know that I have a disenchantment with multi-tasking, so this is just another part of it - on a larger scale.

What do you think?

Comment on this post throughout the weekend (on the Painting Motherhood Blog or on Facebook) and be in the running to WIN Free Cards! I will choose the winner on Monday.

P.S. I just discovered a long smear of muddy footprints stretching from the backyard to the garage - directly diagonal across the lovely floor my 5-year old and I had JUST cleaned, aargh, I guess that's the way it goes. Thank goodness for a good vacuum cleaner (and plenty of patience).

Have a purposeful and mentally-organized day!

Love & Sincerely,

Katie


Above Image: Spirit Soaring - inspired by music and makes me think of cleaning the house, or otherwise bumbling around, with music and the baby. You can purchase prints of Spirit Soaring in the Online Store.