Welcoming Springtime Your Own Way~

Sometimes it's just OK to pass the buck for another day. Or two...or three! Wow, have we been blessed the past few days with incredible summer-like weather here or what? Laundry? What's that? Do ya need fresh towels? Who cares! It'll wait. I want to enjoy this incredible outdoors while I can! Daylight savings time is here and the days are longer and the warmth and sun are so welcomed after the miserable record breaking snowfall of the winter of '09-'10. Granted, it was enchanting as it accumulated but we did truly get our share and that of a few other neighboring states. Like 75" of the white stuff? So when the sun shone down with temps of 74 degrees I abandoned all responsibilities beckoning me, well...maybe not all..and reveled in it to the utmost. I hope you did too! No, I didn't slave in the garden and mulch laboriously. There's plenty of time for that. I did walk, bike, blade, board, shop, catch, hit, throw, cradle..and well, you get the picture. Lots of activity! It was invigorating, joyful and extremely relaxing. I knew it was a temporary situation and that we'd be back to the wet and dreary March weather so I had no stresses or anxiety about shirking my responsibilities for a while. I hope you were able to do the same just a little bit. Give yourself permission once in a while to totally live in the moment. "IN" being your key word. Relish it and look for it often. Thanks for reading! Miriam

St. Patty's Inspiration

Luck O' The Irish to ya! I don't know, will that help, encourage, entice or inspire? Whatever it takes, I say! Spring is my busiest season, both business wise and in my home life. Sometimes I wonder to myself how I will accomplish it all. How will I get everyone from the proper point A to point B and do it with a smile on. It's a challenge at times. I'll take any type of help I can get, including luck! Getting and staying organized and on point is key. No slacking off allowed! School projects usually get assigned this time of year and with the weather improving we don't usually like to be couped up inside doing things we should do. We'd rather be out doing things we want to do! Sometimes our intentions can get away from us while we stop to enjoy the outdoors and the good weather. Of course, enjoy as much as you can but don't let it lead you down the path to laziness either. Good organizing in your calendar is first order or business. Deadlines, appointments, practice and game schedules all need to be noted and shared. Each morning a checklist should be broached just to make sure everyone has what they need. Backup plans are a good idea to have just in case someone might forget something. Extra equipment, water bottles, cleats, report covers, snacks and the like, should be on hand at home and if necessary in the car. Alternate pickup plans should be implemented as well. IF this happens then do this. If not there's always plan A. Cellphones should be charged frequently. Be responsible and courteous and keep in touch with rides and note changes in plans. Communicating is key. Don't leave anything to chance at the last moment when you are rushed and stressed out. Dinners plans should be thought about a bit more in advance now and even sometimes prepared ahead. This I find to be my most difficult hurdle. Where do the days and hours go? Help Dream Dinners! In the meantime, watch out for those sneaky Leprechauns, they're everywhere and they'll throw a foible into your plans every time! Happy St. Patty's....Happy Spring! Thanks for reading! Miriam

Springtime is in Bloom! Grow With It!

With the Philadelphia Flower Show just a memory the thoughts and scents of spring are lingering and I am very ready to enjoy them in full bloom in my own yard once again. The snow is finally melting and emerging are patches of grass that soon will green up. At this juncture I am starting to feel the urges to mulch, weed, trim and plant. I do enjoy the outdoor chores of yardwork and gardening. That is, when I am waiting for buds of new growth I patrol the premises often hoping and waiting. Come late July or early August when all is overgrown, dried out and gangly, it's another story, but this time of year is heavenly. This is a good time to take inventory of what you've planted and where they were placed. Imagine your visual of your yard and how it will look in full bloom. Will you do many container gardens this year? An herb garden? Will you be adding any trees, shrubs or decorative grasses here and there? Daylight savings begins in a little over a week and there will be more daylight hours after work to spend a little extra time tidying the outside in preparation. Take a stroll around your yard, once the mush and squish dries out, and visualize the colors and shapes of your garden and make notes of what you might like to add in this year. The anticipation and the planning are good organizing tools to use to help you meet your end goal; a lovely yard in full bloom! Thanks for reading! Miriam

Mindful Awareness for Everyday

Make priorities when times are tough. Balance is key in everything. My business has, like many, taken an anticipated hit with the financial climate as we know it. Life has it's own twists and turns as well. During this time of flux and uncertainty I have learned it is more important than ever to make priorities for myself and stick to them. Many times I have found myself floundering because I'm in a territory I've never been before. I am nurturing a business that is dependent on people having busy lives and a need and right now the economic downturn is effecting my bottom line. Just when I thought I had it all figured out! Our family is preparing to send our first son off to college. Many people do this every year, but somehow, this task is daunting and mysterious for us. Couple this with this years' share of broken bones and the ensuing physical therapy, Lymes disease, emergency surgeries, aging issues, etc. I really forget to sometimes focus and keep the proverbial nose to the grindstone. What is my personal grindstone anyway? I'm a mom and that's first. When something needs tending to, it will be my own personal needs, aspirations and obligations that fall by the wayside, (but only for the moment). That's ok. I'm here for them 24/7. However, to be my best self I also have to remember to take time to nurture me. What do you do that nurtures your energies, your creativity and your focus? I generally have a litany of weapons in my arsenal for self-nurturing and if time allows, I do manage to fit in a few. Of late, "snowicanes" have gotten in my way on more than one occasion. I can't let that stop me because life whirls at it's frantic pace amongst the blustery winds, regardless. Having mindfulness in what we do, for ourselves and for others is so important. Stop what you are doing at your usual frantic pace and observe. What are you doing and why you are doing it? Even the simplest and sometimes mundane tasks can reflect a deeper meaning and purpose. Focusing on this and cherishing the moment can become it's own restful respite from the chaos. Might not be quite the same as a massage and spritzer but can certainly be a reminder of the meaningful aspects of everyday life that we can take for granted when we get on the Jetson treadmill. Take a deep, purposeful breath and set a focus for yourself and your day. Despite the outside influences there is even reason in the obstacles. I'm working on mindfully focusing on and noticing my life and all it's interruptions, pacing myself and waiting out the storms. The warm sun will shine again! Thanks for reading! Miriam