I need motivation, so i'm getting comfortable!!!!!!?

Why is it that a change in season can inspire us to 'start'???

Mostly my starts come in the form of get up and start again... do, do, do all those things I know I should. You know: exercise, build my friendships, do that project, eat better, spend more time with the kids, quit going to bed late, get a tan...and on and on...

With Spring nearly here in Aus, I can feel my excitement and motivation rise. I’m going to do it this time!!! ...of course I am!!!...

So, start, start, start...easy, yep, I’m motivated and eager, if only spring would get here...

               ...Yet there is one problem:

                 Once I start, how do I maintain that start?!!!! 

Arrrrgh it’s not fair, because trailing right behind and all to quickly catching up is ‘effort’ and ‘tired’, ‘what’s the point’, ‘I feel silly’, it’s just too hard’, and even ‘bad attitude’ – it’s the unmotivated gang. 

It’s not fair (again), why do they have to come with my starts??? (Arms crossed.) And, to be fair, I want to fit in with them (talk about peer pressure lol).

Truth Moment: It’s not about the awesome start and it’s not about the unmotivated gang, it’s about the result - seen or unseen.

So I've got to switch gangs, and I’m joining the comfortable gang.

You see, I’m learning that if we want to have and do the things in life that we really want, then we have to get comfortable with really focusing on what we are achieving and its result in our life.

I have to get comfortable that there is going to be times of great energy and excitement and times of feeling unmotivated (in my case it's intense unmotivated).

I need to get comfortable with the fact that achieving takes time, far more then I’m willing to accept and continue to give yet I must keep going, that's how it is.  

I need to get comfortable that some results are unseen, unnoticeable, particularly at first, yet what I am doing is still of great benefit to my life.

How much of our day comes down to choice? – most of it! It’s a choice to achieve, a choice to ignore my 'unmotivated', a choice to get up and start with or without energy and excitement.

So right now get comfortable!!! 

No matter the season,

               it really is time to knuckle down and get comfortable – who knew!

Time to share: What is your particular 'start'? - What you want to achieve?

Washing-Induced Hysteria - Wednesday's 'Real' Read.

Love, love, love this very real snapshot into the life of living with hubby!!!. 

Laugh and enjoy as Naomi shares a moment of her day with us that, let's face it, we all can relate - right from the bottom of our inner talk :).

Whether this is your hubby, house mate, kids, or even yourself check it:

What my husband likes

• Coke, cycling and sci-fi
• Playing with the kids
• Stripping off in random locations around the house, leaving his clothes in an inside out puddle.
• And flinging dirty socks from the bedroom into the hallway. (Where he will no longer be aware of their presence, no matter how many times he walks past them.)

Me?  I have been known to occasionally seethe at the mere sight of his strewn dirty clothes. The energy that courses through my body and the thoughts that charge my through my head is impressive.

He?  Doesn’t seem to appreciate my passion for the topic of dirty clothes in the hallway.

One day

I picked up the pile with an almighty sigh and stomped self-righteously to the laundry.
Sweetly, I brought the issue to his attention.
He blinked and stared and nodded, surprisingly unmoved.
And then...
Everything unravelled............................

Really?

All this tension and drama and fuss over some stray laundry?
When did I become this worked-up banshee of a wife?
You know, I figured, maybe I could just pick up his clothes and not even think about it. Be grateful that he has clothes (!) and I have a husband and a hallway to put him in. Ahh, the clothes in.
Maybe, for the rest of our married life, he’ll be a clothes flinger, a random stripper leaving trails of laundry in his wake.
And I? I think, for him, I can pick them up, walk 20m, put them in the laundry and be thankful for a husband who rocks and a home that exudes an ethereal sense of calm and tranquillity :)
Now, my head hurts less and my husband looks hotter in general when I see him.

#how I used inner self talk to farewell washing-induced hysteria.

Check out Naomi's Blog: http://inkcrush.blogspot.com/

Naomi: Girl. 30 (!) Loves all things inky: reading and writing and especially the goodness that is YA. I live @ Coffs Harbour, Australia.

Share with us below what 'housework' moments can get the better of you???

Beauty Spot!

Whether it’s Winter (like here in Aus), or Summer, Autumn or Spring, it is always the season to Moisturise.

I like nothing better than taking 10min and simply smoothing some yummy cream into my skin. However, this is soooooo not something that comes naturally.

I don’t jump out of bed and think oooooh let me moisturise. While I’m frantically throwing ‘all things’ breakfast on the table, getting kids and babies organized, oh and hubby too, I am not thinking ooooh moisturise. Then, during the long day of jobs, droping off and picking up, roles I do - I am, work, play, tidying up mess, more tidying mess,… and on and on... again I am not thinking moisturise. And, as I fall into bed at night and only have the energy to lift the sheet slightly so I can crawl under I am definitely not thinking moisturise - zzz

So when do I moisturise? 

Truth Moment: When I make a 10min spot for it! 

Yep my beauty indulgences have come down to having to make a spot for it. 

It’ just does not magically happen for me as I linger over potions and lotions while butterflies, sparkling glitter and waterfalls cascade, flutter and swirl around me in all that free time of mine, in that perfect world of mine!!! (Is that a unicorn I spy in my bathroom??? lol)

So, for me my spot is in the morning. 

I have no energy at night so if it’s going to happen I am going to do it in the morn when I have some and before it’s spent. I also don’t have time for a '10 step, hour long' beauty moisturise program either but I do have time for a 10 minute all over body indulgence, we all do.

Straight after my morn shower or dress time, I light a candle and I have my fav music playing in the background (There is always music on in my house lol). The kids are occupied in another area, whether it is by hubby, or abc kids show, or coloring in – it’s important to have them busy and worth the effort to set them up well so they don’t end up knocking my bathroom door down.

Then it’s just me and my cream, I enjoy the moment, I breath, I relax, I indulge, I feel beautiful, I shut the world out, and I know this act is making a difference to me. 

Inside I choose peace and to my skin outside I invest…ooooooooooooooooh la 

       

                                     ……Then it’s back into my crazy busy day.

TOP TIPS FOR MOISTURISING: 

* Find a cream your happy with. There are so many available with varying purposes and to suit any skin type and any budget.

* Make your ‘10’ an enjoyable moment - no rush job allowed.

Candles, music, quiet, sunshine or stars light through a private window, whatever ministers to you, whatever time of the day.

* Defend and protect that spot. Don’t let life get in and steal it away. Plan for it and make it work for you.  If you do miss a day or two get back up and fight for its right to be in your life. 

You are valuable, important and able to indulge in your diverse beauty. You are beautiful.

Happy take 10 moisturising to us all.

 Elizabeth xxx

Little Black Dress Moments - Wednesday 'Real' Read

Today Amanda shares her 'life bumped me' moment. Check it out - it is an issue that affects as all - our self talk based on what others say! We all have lived this one. Be simply encouraged.

Self Talk, what a scary thought! The words go off like an alarm, don’t want to go there - nope!

The scary part is that when you get up the courage to take a little peek into your own self talk you have to be honest and put ‘You’ all out on the table: flaws, constant changing moods, struggles, wins, how you feel about your physical looks, your performance as either/or a wife, mother, daughter, sister, or in your career, role, and on.... Self talk = all of me!

So what do I really say about all of me?

Ok..., to be honest it’s something I am working on! Yep I should be nice to me, and lovely, and I should know that I am beautiful for who I am. I should be praying and remembering God’s words during the good and certainly during the struggles... shouldn’t I....??? But yeah, those ‘shoulds’ can all go out the window with that thing called logic, (I am still trying to call it back I think?)

Why? 

Because my ‘sneak peek’ revealed that a major contributor to some of my “self talk” seems to come from what others say. Not the best realization; but true none the less.

On a day I am feeling appreciated by others I am great, it’s like “you go girl, you will be fine!” but then there are the other days... Like the other night when I walked out of the bedroom to show my husband what I was wearing out and thinking “wow, I’m looking really hot tonight!” and he said “You're not wearing that are you? - It really doesn’t do anything for you! (Ahhh little ‘black dress’ moments!)

It’s in these moments we can go from feeling great, to one second later feeling like we are useless, we can’t put an outfit together, we can’t do anything right, don’t even mention the body...well if only!

If only I didn’t have the love handles there or I was taller/shorter or weighed a little less. If only I was smarter, had more time, more money, that promotion, looked like her. If only = all of me!!!

Wow, I sound crazy! But you know what I’m talking about.

We know that it should not matter what people say about us and we know that we should not base our self-esteem on what others say, the good (that’s really nice) and the bad, because people can’t be perfect for us. Yet, it does matter...

As hard as we try not to let it, our self talk is influence by the comments of others. So what can we do? It all comes down to reminding myself who I am in God’s eyes and not theirs – and God’s comment is Love.

God loves us just as we are. He created us enough in Him and that includes all our ‘if only’ and ‘shoulds’.

It’s Him I have to come back to.

To say this is easy is a lie, and it’s something I’ve found I have to work on every day, it does not come naturally, but if we keep going, we get better.

“Self talk”? , It’s not really that scary anymore because I’m placing it on the table of ‘I am learning’. Learning to come back to God and what His love means, learning to keep moving forward even when those self doubts caused by me or from others pipe up, and learning to get back up when I am down. We are progressing, and we are not giving up.

Ta Amandaxx

- Amanda Goebel is a soon to be mum with her first bubby on the way. She and hubby Josh can't wait for this new chapter in their life. We will let you know all the details when bub arrives.

Top 5 for July!

It's that time of the month where we share our favorite fun, inspirational, or quaint things for the month. 
You are going to have fun with these and feel beautiful too.

Check it, our top 5:

1) Dry skin = no probs. Try something new: Rose Hip Oil, for a really deep moisturize. It smells beautiful and will soften and hydrate dry skin in no time. www.kosmea.com.au

2) Sesame Street Fun. Sesame Street is celebrating 40 years, yep that’s right. So get your Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Grover, Bert and Ernie, Oscar, Count, Snuffi, and more on! Next week pay tribute to this children’s educational and entertainment show that has delighted little kids and big kids: 
Wear it, watch it, remember it!

3) Big signature ring. One hand, one finger and on it: Your fav signature you. Flowers, hearts, birds, round, square, gems, plain, just wear what grabs you. We love it just cause we can!! Oh and it does not have to be expensive either, check out the nearest jewelry chain store near you.

4) Money Jar. Christmas is around the bend and that means money$$$$! Check out this great Money Jar idea from ‘be a fun mum’   for a very merry merry Christmas! 
http://beafunmum.com/2009/08/the-2-jar/

5) Lipstick message. Do write in lipstick across the mirror, one thing you love about you. Who has not wanted to at times scrawl a special message across the mirror in your fav color lipstick! This message is for you, a defining quality or physical feature you like about you and seal it with your own kiss. 
It’s a little moment of real truth for you to remind you of your own diverse beauty inside and out. 


Don't forget to check out the Amazon shop, on the right, for all of the above and more July ideas.


Have a great, fun and beautiful Friday and weekend everyone. 
Elizabeth xx