Cat Skinner June 13, 2014

Be Here Now

This morning I had a PMS induced hormonal breakdown of sorts. Luckily for me, I have the kind of guy they write about in chick lit (the good kind of guy, not the bad) and he picked me up, dusted me off, packed up the baby and myself, stopped at the grocery store for a picnic and took us to the local library/community centre/splash pad.

He knows me so well.

A few hours chasing the baby around the playground in the rain, picnicking at a child-sized table in the deserted community centre during a thunderstorm, reading stories in the library, and even getting a bit of my own work done while the baby napped in his stroller made everything wonderful again. Bliss, even.

Sure, an amazing partner helps, and I’m so grateful to have such a sweet fella, but the secret ingredient here is one you can discover without the help of anyone else.

The secret to happiness is to be able to exist wholly in the present when the present is good. To soak up each and every drop of the happy moment at hand.

4. Be Here Now

Indulge yourself. Take a few minutes to yourself to really be in the moment, in the present tense. Don’t think about what happened earlier in the day, or the week, or even further in the past. Don’t worry about the future.

Breath, take it in. Notice everything you see, hear, feel, smell, taste.

Now, list five things, happening in the present that you are grateful for.

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Cat Skinner June 10, 2014

My Morning Ritual

Today’s Journal Project entry is all about your morning ritual. The way we start each day can really shape the rhythm of the entire day ahead. Reflect on your morning routine from the time you wake until the time you get down to work.

2. Morning

What’s the first thing you see when you wake up?

The first thing I see when I wake up is the sleepy face of my beautiful 19-month-old son, waiting for me to pick him up.

After you get out of bed, what are the next things you do before you head to the kitchen?

I usually pull on a pair of pyjama pants and awkwardly try to pee with a sleepy toddler on my lap. The pants are a formality, so as not to scandalize my in-laws.

Do you listen to music in the mornings? If so, what are you currently listening to?

No music, just the birds outside, and then whatever Noah would like to watch on television. We’ve done rather poorly at the no TV philosophy for this baby. At least we don’t have cable and commercials.

Do you get to be alone in the morning? If not, who wakes up with you?

I wake when Noah wakes, and we always start the day together. Sometimes, if I’m really tired, daddy will come down after about an hour to relieve me so I can go back to bed for an hour before it’s time to wake the girls.

What do you most enjoy about your morning routine?

I have a few favourites; the sleepy sweaty smell of the baby’s hair, the smacky sound he makes while he eats his morning banana, the mist rolling in from the forest in the backyard, all of the singing birds, the quiet of the house, snuggles from the baby.

What is your least favorite part of the morning?

I can’t stand having to nag the girls to keep on schedule.

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Entries from our Journaling Community

What’s the first thing you see when you wake up?

Normally I see a light I left on when I passed out the night before. Often however, I see the face of one of my kittens standing on top of me encouraging me to rise from my slumber.

After you get out of bed, what are the next things you do before you head to the kitchen?

I usually pee and then desperately search for water.

Do you listen to music in the mornings? If so, what are you currently listening to?

No the only sound I can tolerate in the morning is silence.

Do you get to be alone in the morning? If not, who wakes up with you?

More often than not I do not wake up alone. But lately its been a rotating cast of characters whom I share my bed with, usually just one, but sometimes when i’m lucky, two.

What do you most enjoy about your morning routine?

I enjoy that I have no routine, no need for one. Usually as the fog of sleep wears off I recall an epic adventure from the night before. Consequences be damned.

What is your least favorite part of the morning?

Knowing that I will be truly exhausted in approximately 4-5 hours.

From C – Toronto, ON

Cat Skinner June 9, 2014

The Journal Project

I’ve been keeping journals ever since I was 8 years old. I’ve done this fervently and with great regularity, and I’ve done this sporadically and only when I’m at my absolutely lowest. This blog has been a journal for me of sorts, and through it I’ve worked through some monumental moments of my life. One thing that has always kept me writing here is the beautiful feedback from readers who say they were grateful to be able to relate to the various things I’ve written. It means so much to know I’m not alone, and that I’ve helped shed a little light into other people’s lives. Today, as our Inspired Monday post, I’m giving you something very new and special that I’m going to call The Journal Project.

Each day, I will invite you to journal with me. I’ll post a ‘starter’ or a suggested topic, and then I’ll write my own entry. You can use the form below each post to send me yours, and I will publish it anonymously. If you don’t want to share here, then you can use the starter to inspire an entry in a journal of your own creation, be it digital or physical, written word or visual art. In coming days, I hope to include some downloadable, printable journal pages that are so pretty you’ll be inspired to create.

I’d like to encourage you to share with us here because it’s been incredibly rewarding for me, and I think you’ll feel the same. The big wide world isn’t really so big, and it’s this beautiful connectedness that really keeps us filled with light. If we can build a little community here, wouldn’t we be so proud of ourselves?

I’ll be watching for nasty comments, and other negative stuff so I promise to always keep this Journal Project a safe space for sharing.

Starters and inspiration for The Journal Project will live under the Mommy’s Diary category. If I post something else on a given day, you can look forward to two posts from me.

Are you ready? Here we go!

1. The Jumping Off Point

Why is keeping a journal something that feels important to you right now?

My life is in a place of huge transition, and I can’t see where I’m heading. I’m trying in vain to stay “in the moment” and be grateful for everything that I have in my present tense, instead of being discouraged and preoccupied with the impossible-to-imagine future. I want to use my journaling to meditate on thankfulness and staying present in the now.

What has prevented you from journaling in the past?

Time is the great destroyer of all of my good creative intentions, or at least the way I manage time seems to get in the way. I need to carve out space for my own creativity, because I feel so much more at peace, and more myself when I am able to occupy some of my day with creating – be it writing or other creative endeavours.

What are three things from last week that you would like to avoid this week?

1. Though I had a lovely time with lots of different family, I’d like to be sure to spend more time on things for my own pleasure.

2. I’m going to embrace my PMS and self-medicate with chocolate to avoid any crankiness that might be directed towards my loved ones. I will balance this with daily yoga.

3. I’d like to ride my bike! Perhaps someone will help me install the baby’s seat on my bike so we can have a family ride!

Now It’s Your Turn!

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Reader Entries

I’m keeping a journal because I want to start writing things down so my kids have something to look back on when they are grown up.

I haven’t had much luck with journal writing in the past because I usually think that everything I write is lousy.

Three things from last week that I’d like to avoid:

1. Unexpected car expenses (thanks to the jerk who hit me in the parking lot of the grocery store and didn’t bother to leave a note).

2. Make more quiet time for myself.

3. Try to eat better. With three family functions in one week, there were too many temptations to stay on track.

By D. from Burlington, On

I wish I would started journaling when I was younger. Now that my kids are grown and I now have a grandson, it seems to be more important than ever to start writing so that when I am no longer here my little one will know more about me and my life as a mom.

I did start journaling several years ago but for some reason when I sit down with pen and journal the words just do not flow like I would like them to. I am told that does not matter.Just write what you are thinking and doing.

1. I would like to avoid eating too many ginger cookies at lunchtime.

2. I would love it if my husband brought dinner to me for a change. I have been doing it now for 43 years and don’t ever remember him cooking for me.

3.I would like to get out every morning and go for a fast walk either outside if weather is nice or go to the Mall and do a few rounds.

By ML, from Winona, ON