Gratitude for Interweb Goodness: Day 15

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Cheryl Harris

Okay, since it’s Dec 15th, I’m almost half way through 31 days of Gratitude for the December Self-Care Retreat! I didn’t know what I was going to write about today, and then I saw this collection of awesome pictures…

Buzzfeed: The World Isn’t Such a Bad Place

…and it put a big smile back on my face.

The internet is a source of a lot of crap. I’m acutely aware that negativity sells, and there’s an over-abundance of it. But the interwebs t’s also a source of a lot of uplifting goodness…and cats. It’s all in where you look. I love Upworthy, and obviously Cheeseburger Cats and Paw Bonito for you animal peeps.

Here are just a few videos & collections of pics that I’ve loved lately:

Doggie shaming pictures. I now feel much, much better about “owning” cats

A woman who takes time out to dance right before a mastectomy

A boy dying of cancer. Sounds depressing, but it’s also one of the most moving things I’ve seen in a long, long time!

And for you doggie lovers, may you be as happy as a husky with a pile of leaves. No, really.

Last but not least, I think these “Happy” videos are pretty neat, too. It’s 24 hours of different people dancing to Pharrell William’s song, and I love seeing REAL people of all ages, colors, shapes and sizes getting down and getting goofy. Makes me want to dance! Oh yeah, and the song TOTALLY gets in your head, too.

Need more?

I did a similar link roundup last year, too.

Posts so far:

My 30 days of gratitude:

Posted in cheryl's musings, December Sanity Challenge | 3 Comments

Grateful for Pomegranates! Day 14

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Cheryl Harris

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI adore pomegranates. It’s kinda goofy how much I love them. I get excited when they show up in September, and sad when they disappear, but at least I know when the go away that Spring is on its way, which is a reasonably good trade. They’re the best part of winter IMHO, and this morning, I got 3 of the biggest, most beautiful pomegranates I’ve seen all season. They were even on sale!

Of course, when I want to make wonderful even more special, I make Chocolate Covered Pomegranates Seeds.

So three cheers for pomegranates, and 3 cheers for Wegman’s!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe holidays can be a beautiful time of family bonding, celebration and beauty. They can also be an overdoing, overspending, over stressing time of all flavors of excess. For the last 3 years, I’ve been delighted to host the December Sanity Retreat and the July Self-Care Retreat. This is our 6th retreat! It’s been wonderful for me to have an extra excuse to focus on self-care and rein in my natural tendency to need to bake (at least) 18 kinds of cookies.

I know how powerful it is for me to focus on self-care, and I imagine it’s similar for most of you, so as a gentle extra nudge, we’re doing 2 giveaways.

Giveaway #1: Let us hear your voice!

Prize: a $50 nuts.com gift certificate) they are not sponsoring, I just wanted something with healthy gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, etc. options (US/Canada)

Comment on any of our hostesses’ posts on the Sanity Retreat, like this one. Leave me a comment on how you cultivate gratitude in your life, OR what you’re most grateful for on this week’s post HERE

Giveaway #2: make the challenge your own!

Blog on your own self-care plans, and a post will be chosen at random as the winner. If you big orange flutterdon’t have a blog, contact the hostess of the week and they’ll post for you.

Prize: a box of fun things from me.

As always, self-care is whatever it means to you. So the December Sanity Challenge can be on whatever YOU need to work on to stay sane during the holiday season

Balance around food * Joyful movement * Sanity & stress management * Making space for art, expression, and spirituality * Connection with friends and family

Or whatever else speaks to you along those lines.

The challenge—post on what you plan to do to make your holidays sane, happy and healthy.  Make it specific!  Not just “I’ll get more sleep”, but “I’ll get at least 7 hours of sleep, 5 days a week”.  Not just “I won’t go crazy making desserts”, but “I’ll make a maximum of XX desserts, and space them out over XX time”.  You know what you need to do to keep this doable, and writing it down will help you get there!

I’m delighted to be joined by wonderful hostesses with likeminded blogs:

I hope you choose to join us, too.  Grab a badge and we’re good to go!

We’ll also be meeting up in our Facebook group for extra encouragement and support. You’re more than welcome to join us there.

Posts so far:

My 30 days of gratitude:

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Peaceful day gratitude: Day 13

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Cheryl Harris

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI got to stay home today. It wasn’t a day off by any stretch, because I was grading papers, filing insurance and all that stuff, but it was a day when I didn’t have to think about traffic, driving, or the outside world and that bustle.

After our few days without power and then scrambling to play catchup, the relative quiet was so wonderful. There’s something about winter that feels like stillness. The trees are quieter and there’s more of a sense of calm.

I need to take “days off at home” more often! I’m not sure why this one was more peaceful than most, but I’ll happily take it.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe holidays can be a beautiful time of family bonding, celebration and beauty. They can also be an overdoing, overspending, over stressing time of all flavors of excess. For the last 3 years, I’ve been delighted to host the December Sanity Retreat and the July Self-Care Retreat. This is our 6th retreat! It’s been wonderful for me to have an extra excuse to focus on self-care and rein in my natural tendency to need to bake (at least) 18 kinds of cookies.

I know how powerful it is for me to focus on self-care, and I imagine it’s similar for most of you, so as a gentle extra nudge, we’re doing 2 giveaways.

Giveaway #1: Let us hear your voice!

Prize: a $50 nuts.com gift certificate) they are not sponsoring, I just wanted something with healthy gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, etc. options (US/Canada)

Comment on any of our hostesses’ posts on the Sanity Retreat, like this one. Leave me a comment on how you cultivate gratitude in your life, OR what you’re most grateful for on this week’s post HERE

Giveaway #2: make the challenge your own!

Blog on your own self-care plans, and a post will be chosen at random as the winner. If you big orange flutterdon’t have a blog, contact the hostess of the week and they’ll post for you.

Prize: um, ironing out details–a box of fun things from me.

As always, self-care is whatever it means to you. So the December Sanity Challenge can be on whatever YOU need to work on to stay sane during the holiday season

Balance around food * Joyful movement * Sanity & stress management * Making space for art, expression, and spirituality * Connection with friends and family

Or whatever else speaks to you along those lines.

The challenge—post on what you plan to do to make your holidays sane, happy and healthy.  Make it specific!  Not just “I’ll get more sleep”, but “I’ll get at least 7 hours of sleep, 5 days a week”.  Not just “I won’t go crazy making desserts”, but “I’ll make a maximum of XX desserts, and space them out over XX time”.  You know what you need to do to keep this doable, and writing it down will help you get there!

I’m delighted to be joined by wonderful hostesses with likeminded blogs:

I hope you choose to join us, too.  Grab a badge and we’re good to go!

We’ll also be meeting up in our Facebook group for extra encouragement and support. You’re more than welcome to join us there.

Posts so far:

My 30 days of gratitude:

Posted in cheryl's musings, December Sanity Challenge | 1 Comment

Ah, grateful: Day 12

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Cheryl Harris

Short and sweet: I’m grateful for the massage I got today! I’ve made a point of getting monthly massages this year, and it’s been a wonderful thing.

More on the December Sanity Retreat & ContestsOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The holidays can be a beautiful time of family bonding, celebration and beauty. They can also be an overdoing, overspending, over stressing time of all flavors of excess. For the last 3 years, I’ve been delighted to host the December Sanity Retreat and the July Self-Care Retreat. This is our 6th retreat! I wish I could say it was all about altruism, but honestly, it’s been wonderful for me to have an extra excuse to focus on self-care and rein in my natural tendency to need to bake (at least) 18 kinds of cookies.

I know how powerful it is for me to focus on self-care, and I imagine it’s similar for most of you, so as a gentle extra nudge, we’re doing 2 giveaways.

Giveaway #1: Let us hear your voice!

Prize: a $50 nuts.com gift certificate) they are not sponsoring, I just wanted something with healthy gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, etc. options (US/Canada)

Comment on any of our hostesses’ posts on the Sanity Retreat, like this one. Leave me a comment on how you cultivate gratitude in your life, OR what you’re most grateful for on this week’s post HERE

Giveaway #2: make the challenge your own!

Blog on your own self-care plans, and a post will be chosen at random as the winner. If you don’t have a blog, contact the hostess of the week and they’ll post for you.

Prize: um, ironing out details–either a gift certificate or a box of self-care books, meditation CDs, chocolate and other fun things from me.

As always, self-care is whatever it means to you. So the December Sanity Challenge can be on whatever YOU need to work on to stay sane during the holiday season

Balance around food * Joyful movement * Sanity & stress management * Making space for art, expression, and spirituality * Connection with friends and family

Or whatever else speaks to you along those lines.

The challenge—post on what you plan to do to make your holidays sane, happy and healthy.  Make it specific!  Not just “I’ll get more sleep”, but “I’ll get at least 7 hours of sleep, 5 days a week”.  Not just “I won’t go crazy making desserts”, but “I’ll make a maximum of XX desserts, and space them out over XX time”.  You know what you need to do to keep this doable, and writing it down will help you get there!

I’m delighted to be joined by wonderful hostesses with likeminded blogs:

I hope you choose to join us, too.  Grab a badge and we’re good to go!

We’ll also be meeting up in our Facebook group for extra encouragement and support. You’re more than welcome to join us there.

Posts so far:

My 30 days of gratitude:

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Grateful for Resiliance: Day 11

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Cheryl Harris

So we had no power Mon or Tues. And we lost power again Weds. It’s such a relief that it’s back, hopefully to stay this time!

It’s been beautiful to see how I’ve been able to cope with it. I’m stronger than I was last year, and so much stronger than I’ve been for the last 10 years. The physical difference is pretty dramatic, even in the last 2 years.

2 years ago, my “pie in the sky” goal was to walk to the main road and back as a Christmas present to Mr. Dude. I didn’t make it by Christmas, but I did by mid-Jan. Now I do 5 or 6 times a day, or at least when it isn’t icy. It’s just part of normal.

2 years ago I couldn’t walk up the stairs, and I’d given up hope that this would be possibility. Now I don’t really give a small flight of stairs much thought.big orange flutter

I just can’t imagine that a few years ago I could have dealt with the cold, walking in the ice and slush, having the traffic lights go out nearby and lifting the garage door without being terribly sore and ridiculously stressed. Don’t get me wrong. I was cranky. But I was also fundamentally okay and strong.

I was an athlete, I was a rugby player, I was a runner. I was quite physically strong. I remember all that like it’s a distant memory, a nice picture I saw on the wall. So I know that my “strong” is kinda not even in the same remote ballpark than my strong before it all. But I’m stronger, and more resiliant than I’ve been for the last 10 years. I don’t exactly know why or how, but it’s kinda freakin’ awesome.

More on the December Sanity Retreat & ContestsOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The holidays can be a beautiful time of family bonding, celebration and beauty. They can also be an overdoing, overspending, overstressing time of all flavors of excess. For the last 3 years, I’ve been delighted to host the December Sanity Retreat and the July Self-Care Retreat. This is our 6th retreat! I wish I could say it was all about altruism, but honestly, it’s been wonderful for me to have an extra excuse to focus on self-care and rein in my natural tendency to need to bake (at least) 18 kinds of cookies.

I know how powerful it is for me to focus on self-care, and I imagine it’s similar for most of you, so as a gentle extra nudge, we’re doing 2 giveaways.

Giveaway #1: Let us hear your voice!

Prize: a $50 nuts.com gift certificate) they are not sponsoring, I just wanted something with healthy gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, etc. options (US/Canada)

Comment on any of our hostesses’ posts on the Sanity Retreat, like this one. Leave me a comment on how you cultivate gratitude in your life, OR what you’re most grateful for on this week’s post HERE

Giveaway #2: make the challenge your own!

Blog on your own self-care plans, and a post will be chosen at random as the winner. If you don’t have a blog, contact the hostess of the week and they’ll post for you.

Prize: um, ironing out details–either a gift certificate or a box of self-care books, meditation CDs, chocolate and other fun things from me.

As always, self-care is whatever it means to you. So the December Sanity Challenge can be on whatever YOU need to work on to stay sane during the holiday season

Balance around food * Joyful movement * Sanity & stress management * Making space for art, expression, and spirituality * Connection with friends and family

Or whatever else speaks to you along those lines.

The challenge—post on what you plan to do to make your holidays sane, happy and healthy.  Make it specific!  Not just “I’ll get more sleep”, but “I’ll get at least 7 hours of sleep, 5 days a week”.  Not just “I won’t go crazy making desserts”, but “I’ll make a maximum of XX desserts, and space them out over XX time”.  You know what you need to do to keep this doable, and writing it down will help you get there!

I’m delighted to be joined by wonderful hostesses with likeminded blogs:

I hope you choose to join us, too.  Grab a badge and we’re good to go!

We’ll also be meeting up in our Facebook group for extra encouragement and support. You’re more than welcome to join us there.

Posts so far:

My 30 days of gratitude:

Posted in cheryl's musings, December Sanity Challenge | Leave a comment

Grateful for everyday miracles: Day 9 and 10

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Cheryl Harris

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMaybe heat and water aren’t technically miracles, but when they go away, it sure feels like they are! I have a good excuse for not posting yesterday: we lost power. And heat. And water. There was icing in the area and it took down a lot of trees.

But we were really, really delighted to have a generator. Noisy as it was, it got the job done. And Dominion had us up maybe ~30 hours after we lost power, and I am absolutely loving every smidgeon of heat, and so are the cats! The heated floormat has really been the center of the universe this evening.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

I know it sounds trite, but I forget that some people have never had running water or electricity, and probably never will in their lifetime. We’re all privileged in ways we aren’t even aware.

I also am one of the few people who can say I’ve NEVER lost power for more than a few hours before. It never happened growing up, or in any of the places I’ve lived. So I was definitely overdue, and I’m glad I can cross that off my bucket list and never deal with it again. Right?

More on the December Sanity Retreat & ContestsOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The holidays can be a beautiful time of family bonding, celebration and beauty. They can also be an overdoing, overspending, overstressing time of all flavors of excess. For the last 3 years, I’ve been delighted to host the December Sanity Retreat and the July Self-Care Retreat. This is our 6th retreat! I wish I could say it was all about altruism, but honestly, it’s been wonderful for me to have an extra excuse to focus on self-care and rein in my natural tendency to need to bake (at least) 18 kinds of cookies.

I know how powerful it is for me to focus on self-care, and I imagine it’s similar for most of you, so as a gentle extra nudge, we’re doing 2 giveaways.

Giveaway #1: Let us hear your voice!

Prize: a $50 nuts.com gift certificate) they are not sponsoring, I just wanted something with healthy gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, etc. options (US/Canada)

Comment on any of our hostesses’ posts on the Sanity Retreat, like this one. Leave me a comment on how you cultivate gratitude in your life, OR what you’re most grateful for on this week’s post HERE

Giveaway #2: make the challenge your own!

Blog on your own self-care plans, and a post will be chosen at random as the winner. If you don’t have a blog, contact the hostess of the week and they’ll post for you.

Prize: um, ironing out details–either a gift certificate or a box of self-care books, meditation CDs, chocolate and other fun things from me.big orange flutter

As always, self-care is whatever it means to you. So the December Sanity Challenge can be on whatever YOU need to work on to stay sane during the holiday season

Balance around food * Joyful movement * Sanity & stress management * Making space for art, expression, and spirituality * Connection with friends and family

Or whatever else speaks to you along those lines.

The challenge—post on what you plan to do to make your holidays sane, happy and healthy.  Make it specific!  Not just “I’ll get more sleep”, but “I’ll get at least 7 hours of sleep, 5 days a week”.  Not just “I won’t go crazy making desserts”, but “I’ll make a maximum of XX desserts, and space them out over XX time”.  You know what you need to do to keep this doable, and writing it down will help you get there!

I’m delighted to be joined by wonderful hostesses with likeminded blogs:

I hope you choose to join us, too.  Grab a badge and we’re good to go!

We’ll also be meeting up in our Facebook group for extra encouragement and support. You’re more than welcome to join us there.

Posts so far:

My 30 days of gratitude:

 

Posted in cheryl's musings, December Sanity Challenge, self care carnival | Leave a comment

Grateful for Acts of Kindness: Day 8

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Cheryl Harris

Our December Sanity Retreat moves onward, and this week’s hostess is Kate of Eat, Recycle, Repeat. She’s starting a personal journey as well to perform as many acts as kindness as she can in the next 25 days! She’s also encouraging others to share their acts of kindness.

So I had a bit of a dilemma, because I greatly prefer to do anonymous acts of kindness. However, I’d like to support Kate and I do understand how contagious kindness can be! So as a happy medium, below are 3 ways that I practice kindness regularly, and I’ve done double duty and combined that with Day 8 of my gratefulness intention. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

  • 10 years ago I bought a bunch of little cards for a party, and then we decided we didn’t need them. So I started writing notes on them, “you are beautiful!” “wishing you a marvelous day” “you are loved” and leaving them in a variety of different  spots. Somewhere along the way writing up a gazillion cards bothered my wrist so I started ordering them in bulk through Vistaprint. I always keep a few in my bag for times they come in handy.
  • Flowers. I like them, my cats like to eat them, which dampens some of my excitement. So for the past year or so, I have a monthly tradition where get a bunch of flowers and offer them to random strangers. Some people are hugely grateful and moved. I get more than a few smiles. A few people say no. It’s always an interesting experience.
  • We also hugely value charitable giving, both to people and organizations. I really, really appreciate that Mr. Dude understands and shares my desire to give, especially around natural disasters.

I’m assuming this goes without saying, but the reason I’ve been intentionally planning in acts of kindness for well over the past decade is that I find it a nourishing habit. I am also really grateful for my ex-boyfriend, who was definitely my random acts of kindness teacher. He inspired me greatly, and helped me see how much fun it can be.

How do you like to practice acts of kindness? Let me know, or hop over and let Kate know, too!OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

More on the December Sanity Retreat & Contests

The holidays can be a beautiful time of family bonding, celebration and beauty. They can also be an overdoing, overspending, overstressing time of all flavors of excess. For the last 3 years, I’ve been delighted to host the December Sanity Retreat and the July Self-Care Retreat. This is our 6th retreat! I wish I could say it was all about altruism, but honestly, it’s been wonderful for me to have an extra excuse to focus on self-care and rein in my natural tendency to need to bake (at least) 18 kinds of cookies.

I know how powerful it is for me to focus on self-care, and I imagine it’s similar for most of you, so as a gentle extra nudge, we’re doing 2 giveaways.

Giveaway #1: Let us hear your voice!

Prize: a $50 nuts.com gift certificate) they are not sponsoring, I just wanted something with healthy gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, etc. options (US/Canada)

Comment on any of our hostesses’ posts on the Sanity Retreat, like this one. Leave me a comment on how you cultivate gratitude in your life, OR what you’re most grateful for on this week’s post HERE

Giveaway #2: make the challenge your own!

Blog on your own self-care plans, and a post will be chosen at random as the winner. If you don’t have a blog, contact the hostess of the week and they’ll post for you.

Prize: um, ironing out details–either a gift certificate or a box of self-care books, meditation CDs, chocolate and other fun things from me.big orange flutter

As always, self-care is whatever it means to you. So the December Sanity Challenge can be on whatever YOU need to work on to stay sane during the holiday season

Balance around food * Joyful movement * Sanity & stress management * Making space for art, expression, and spirituality * Connection with friends and family

Or whatever else speaks to you along those lines.

The challenge—post on what you plan to do to make your holidays sane, happy and healthy.  Make it specific!  Not just “I’ll get more sleep”, but “I’ll get at least 7 hours of sleep, 5 days a week”.  Not just “I won’t go crazy making desserts”, but “I’ll make a maximum of XX desserts, and space them out over XX time”.  You know what you need to do to keep this doable, and writing it down will help you get there!

I’m delighted to be joined by wonderful hostesses with likeminded blogs:

I hope you choose to join us, too.  Grab a badge and we’re good to go!

We’ll also be meeting up in our Facebook group for extra encouragement and support. You’re more than welcome to join us there.

Posts so far:

My 30 days of gratitude:

 

Posted in cheryl's musings, December Sanity Challenge | Leave a comment

Grateful for apples! Day 7

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Cheryl Harris

applesboxI absolutely adore apples, and I think that’s part of growing up in NY. I’m also very particular about the apples that I like. The quintessential NY apple, of course, is a Mc Intosh, but they don’t grow around here. So I’ve taken to a few local(ish) favorites, like Goldrush, which are the ones in the box–> Stayman and Jonathan.

I’m grateful that there’s monthly apple delivery from Kuhn Orchards, a local(ish) farm that I love in PA—they’re at a bunch of the local Farmer’s market during the normal growing season. Even though I missed the deadline, they let me order (yay!) so that I can get my apple fix.

I will eat normal apples. If I have no other choice. But I find the local varieties to be so much more flavorful and appealing than what I can get at stores nearby, so I’m grateful that the stars aligned and I’ve got my apples!

More on the December Sanity Retreat & Contests

The holidays can be a beautiful time of family bonding, celebration and beauty. They can also be an overdoing, overspending, overstressing time of all flavors of excess. For the last 3 years, I’ve been delighted to host the December Sanity Retreat and the July Self-Care Retreat. This is our 6th retreat! I wish I could say it was all about altruism, but honestly, it’s been wonderful for me to have an extra excuse to focus on self-care and rein in my natural tendency to need to bake (at least) 18 kinds of cookies.

I know how powerful it is for me to focus on self-care, and I imagine it’s similar for most of you, so as a gentle extra nudge, we’re doing 2 giveaways.

Giveaway #1: Let us hear your voice!

Prize: a $50 nuts.com gift certificate) they are not sponsoring, I just wanted something with healthy gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, etc. options (US/Canada)

Comment on any of our hostesses’ posts on the Sanity Retreat, like this one. Leave me a comment on how you cultivate gratitude in your life, OR what you’re most grateful for on this week’s post HERE

Giveaway #2: make the challenge your own!

Blog on your own self-care plans, and a post will be chosen at random as the winner. If you don’t have a blog, contact the hostess of the week and they’ll post for you.

Prize: um, ironing out details–either a gift certificate or a box of self-care books, meditation CDs, chocolate and other fun things from me.big orange flutter

As always, self-care is whatever it means to you. So the December Sanity Challenge can be on whatever YOU need to work on to stay sane during the holiday season

Balance around food * Joyful movement * Sanity & stress management * Making space for art, expression, and spirituality * Connection with friends and family

Or whatever else speaks to you along those lines.

The challenge—post on what you plan to do to make your holidays sane, happy and healthy.  Make it specific!  Not just “I’ll get more sleep”, but “I’ll get at least 7 hours of sleep, 5 days a week”.  Not just “I won’t go crazy making desserts”, but “I’ll make a maximum of XX desserts, and space them out over XX time”.  You know what you need to do to keep this doable, and writing it down will help you get there!

I’m delighted to be joined by wonderful hostesses with likeminded blogs:

I hope you choose to join us, too.  Grab a badge and we’re good to go!

We’ll also be meeting up in our Facebook group for extra encouragement and support. You’re more than welcome to join us there.

Posted in cheryl's musings, December Sanity Challenge, self care carnival | 1 Comment

Grateful for new experiences: Day 6

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Cheryl Harris

I just finished teaching the 2nd semester of a grad class on Mindful Eating and Nourishment. I love to teach, and it’s definitely been a learning experience for me because it’s so different from all the other classes I’ve taught.meditation bell

I’m grateful for all of the students, and I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to stretch in different ways. Some parts were fascinating and some parts were frustrating; that’s often going to be the case for any new experience.

Teaching enlivens me in a lot of ways. It also inspires me to be a better practitioner, and I learn a lot from the students. I can’t quite sum up why it’s so meaningful to me, but it definitely is.

I’m really proud of myself for taking on a new experience, because it’s easy to talk myself into a comfy, well-worn rut. For someone who has trouble standing and driving and periodic issues with fatigue, teaching 4 hour sessions (and 15 hours one weekend) over an hour away…well, I’m quite pleased with myself.  I’m also grateful that it’s over and I have a break—as much as I enjoy it, the drives are pretty intense. I do have a stack of papers coming my way, but they’ll be fun to read.

I also am grateful that I’ve been at this “gratitude thing” for 6 days now!

Posts so far:OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

My 30 days of gratitude:

More on the December Sanity Retreat & Contests

The holidays can be a beautiful time of family bonding, celebration and beauty. They can also be an overdoing, overspending, overstressing time of all flavors of excess. For the last 3 years, I’ve been delighted to host the December Sanity Retreat and the July Self-Care Retreat. This is our 6th retreat! I wish I could say it was all about altruism, but honestly, it’s been wonderful for me to have an extra excuse to focus on self-care and rein in my natural tendency to need to bake (at least) 18 kinds of cookies.

I know how powerful it is for me to focus on self-care, and I imagine it’s similar for most of you, so as a gentle extra nudge, we’re doing 2 giveaways.

Giveaway #1: Let us hear your voice!

Prize: a $50 nuts.com gift certificate) they are not sponsoring, I just wanted something with healthy gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, etc. options (US/Canada)

Comment on any of our hostesses’ posts on the Sanity Retreat, like this one. Leave me a comment on how you cultivate gratitude in your life, OR what you’re most grateful for on this week’s post HERE

Giveaway #2: make the challenge your own!

Blog on your own self-care plans, and a post will be chosen at random as the winner. If you don’t have a blog, contact the hostess of the week and they’ll post for you.

Prize: um, ironing out details–either a gift certificate or a box of self-care books, meditation CDs, chocolate and other fun things from me.big orange flutter

As always, self-care is whatever it means to you. So the December Sanity Challenge can be on whatever YOU need to work on to stay sane during the holiday season

Balance around food * Joyful movement * Sanity & stress management * Making space for art, expression, and spirituality * Connection with friends and family

Or whatever else speaks to you along those lines.

The challenge—post on what you plan to do to make your holidays sane, happy and healthy.  Make it specific!  Not just “I’ll get more sleep”, but “I’ll get at least 7 hours of sleep, 5 days a week”.  Not just “I won’t go crazy making desserts”, but “I’ll make a maximum of XX desserts, and space them out over XX time”.  You know what you need to do to keep this doable, and writing it down will help you get there!

I’m delighted to be joined by wonderful hostesses with likeminded blogs:

I hope you choose to join us, too.  Grab a badge and we’re good to go!

We’ll also be meeting up in our Facebook group for extra encouragement and support. You’re more than welcome to join us there.

Posted in cheryl's musings, December Sanity Challenge, self care carnival | 1 Comment

Grateful for beautiful weather

Posted on December 5, 2013 by Cheryl Harris

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA I love warm weather. Love love love. And today it was warm. Lusciously, beautifully warm…it even went up to the 70s! The warmth feels liberating, it feels freeing. I realized that I am often bracing myself when it’s cold, and I think some of that posture carries over, even once I’m indoors. I’m going to have to figure out how to address that, because the warm weather is just visiting for a day!

It was so awesome to come home, go outside and look up at the sky and trees. I don’t have any pics because it was so dark, but it was just heavenly and peaceful. Especially since I’ve been having a stressful week, it was really exactly what I needed to feel more grounded.

So I’m grateful for our beautiful trees and backyard, but I’m even more grateful that I consciously take the time to sit with the trees whenever I can. It brings me much peace.

More on the December Sanity Retreat & Contests

The holidays can be a beautiful time of family bonding, celebration and beauty. They can also be an overdoing, overspending, overstressing time of all flavors of excess. For the last 3 years, I’ve been delighted to host the December Sanity Retreat and the July Self-Care Retreat. This is our 6th retreat! I wish I could say it was all about altruism, but honestly, it’s been wonderful for me to have an extra excuse to focus on self-care and rein in my natural tendency to need to bake (at least) 18 kinds of cookies.

I know how powerful it is for me to focus on self-care, and I imagine it’s similar for most of you, so as a gentle extra nudge, we’re doing 2 giveaways.big orange flutter

Giveaway #1: Let us hear your voice!

Prize: a $50 nuts.com gift certificate) they are not sponsoring, I just wanted something with healthy gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, etc. options (US/Canada)

Comment on any of our hostesses’ posts on the Sanity Retreat, like this one. Leave me a comment on how you cultivate gratitude in your life, OR what you’re most grateful for on this week’s post HERE

Giveaway #2: make the challenge your own!

Blog on your own self-care plans, and a post will be chosen at random as the winner. If you don’t have a blog, contact the hostess of the week and they’ll post for you.

Prize: um, ironing out details–either a gift certificate or a box of self-care books, meditation CDs, chocolate and other fun things from me.

As always, self-care is whatever it means to you. So the December Sanity Challenge can be on whatever YOU need to work on to stay sane during the holiday season

Balance around food * Joyful movement * Sanity & stress management * Making space for art, expression, and spirituality * Connection with friends and family

Or whatever else speaks to you along those lines.

The challenge—post on what you plan to do to make your holidays sane, happy and healthy.  Make it specific!  Not just “I’ll get more sleep”, but “I’ll get at least 7 hours of sleep, 5 days a week”.  Not just “I won’t go crazy making desserts”, but “I’ll make a maximum of XX desserts, and space them out over XX time”.  You know what you need to do to keep this doable, and writing it down will help you get there!

I’m delighted to be joined by wonderful hostesses with likeminded blogs:

I hope you choose to join us, too.  Grab a badge and we’re good to go!

We’ll also be meeting up in our Facebook group for extra encouragement and support. You’re more than welcome to join us there.

Posts so far:

My 30 days of gratitude:

 

Posted in cheryl's musings, December Sanity Challenge, self care carnival | 1 Comment