Happy Friday!!!!

I hope everyone has had a good week, I thought I would end the week with a post about some of my "Little Things" that I've recently experienced, seen or heard. 

I love clean sheets, the feeling if getting into bed with fresh, clean sheets that have been all tucked in is a good way to end any day!!! 

Greek yogurt, YUM!!! I have always loved yogurt, but during my pregnancy with Z I suddenly became turned off, like could not even get a spoon in my mouth. Thankfully that is no longer a problem since discovering Greek yogurt!!! Mix that yogurt with 2 teaspoons of granola and that's breakfast or a midday snack. And the fact that I declare those little cups of protein filled goodness all mine is an added bonus. 

Yoga!!!! Oh yoga how I have missed you!!! After taking a series of classes several years ago I fell in live with this form of exercise. I've looked for, thought about, bought videos all with the intention of starting to do yoga again. I am happy to report that I have begun using the videos I bought, and yep I still love it!!!

This last thing little thing is purely silly but for me it's my little thing, my one thing that helped me one day this week. After slowly changing over my clothes from winter to summer, I begun the dreaded task of now switching from cold weather shoes to summer shoes. Hot damn, wasn't I shocked that when I began to pull out all my flip flops (and I have lots) they all had a match!!!! Now if there had been a shoe without its mate it would have driven me crazy, but nope they all had a mate!!!  Now if Mother Nature would cooperate this upcoming weekend my toes would appreciate it.

I know these things may seem silly or trivial but like the name of this blog "The Little Things" are sometimes what help get you through the big things and many times we forget about "the little things" that may make us happy or our life easier...

WBW - 5/22/13

Happy Wednesday!!!! Here in the Northeast the humidity has settled in for the immediate future, which is not conducive to really anything except consuming more water - which is never a bad thing. It is important to remember to not over-do it, take breaks if you are exerting yourself, even save that workout until later in the day when the sun has gone down. 

This week is not a weigh-in week for me, but that being said I'm sure that if it were the same 3 numbers would pop up on the scale display. I have taken some small steps over the past week to improve not only my health but the health of my family as well.  Mr O and I had a big talk the other night over all the articles that I have been reading about processed foods and certain health ailments, and how we still have time to change our eating habits and those of H&Z, whom we have always payed particular concern to what they are consuming. We have decided to start eating in a more clean and organic way, having only 1 income we will be looking to make this change over time and not do a radical change all at once. 

During yesterday's shopping trip I was able to buy some organic fruit, organic cereal, organic oatmeal and even an organic treat for H&Z.  Luckily my local Stop and Shop is stocked with a very nice selection of both organic and traditional foods, also we are very fortunate to have a Trader Joes and Whole Foods within a couple miles of our home. While we were on a recent trip to BJ's we were able to see their selection of bulk organic items and our local SAM's club (where we belong) is re-opening soon and I will definitely be checking out their inventory of organic and clean items. 

I have also ordered a couple of workout DVD's all with a focus on beginner exercises. 2 of the 3 have different workout options, including 10 minute, 20 minute or 1 hour options and routines. All of the reading I have done says it is better to do a 10 minute routine and gradually build up to longer exercise times, so these DVD's are prefect for me, also with 2 little ones underfoot working out carries its own dangers and time constraints!!!!  I had been doing some longer routines but found myself unable to complete them, so I would definitely rather do 10 minutes comfortably than 45 minutes strenuously. 

The workouts I ordered are a beginners cardio, beginners yoga, and a ballet workout.  I have done the cardio video and I like it, and look forward to doing the yoga one later today. Combined with walks, and maybe even a few random exercises during the day I will get healthy. 

With time and patience my physical and emotional health will meet and everything will come into focus, I've got nothing but time. What have you changed this week?  What will you be eating differently based on the information coming out regarding chemically altered foods? I'm including a photo I found on the Internet showing which fruits and veggies are called "The Dirty Dozen". 

Also follow along with our journey at perfectlyimperfectmamas.com also on Facebook and Twitter!!! 

Well Being Wednesday 5/15

Well Being Wednesday!!!!  Today was supposed to be a weigh in day for me, but a poor nights sleep and a hurried morning caused me to forget.  Hopefully tomorrow morning will not be as hurried and I will remember, although I am sure the scale will display the same 3 numbers.....

This week I am sharing the post I wrote last week for the website www.perfectlyimperfectmamas.com

I am hoping to reach some new readers who are also starting to find themselves again.. 

On June 15, 2007 at 11:46 my life changed forever, that was the moment my first born graced is with his prescience and made me a Mama. In the six years since I have had another child, (a daughter this time) lost both my grandparents to cancer, dealt with post Partum depression, got news that I have an incurable (but manageable) brain disease, my husbands own medical problems, and so on and so forth. Why am I sharing this information with you, because I want to say that the one person I haven't taken care of is ME!!!!!!! I have had routine health care, tests and such but nothing to really focus on the one part of me that needs help. 

I have been focusing on everything and everyone else, except for me. I have helped family and friends, take care of my children, I have managed schedules and schlepped to appointments. As my husband says "she keeps the boat afloat", and he's right but I also need to keep myself afloat and right now I feel like I'm drowning. Drowning in a sea of emotions, in a sea of fear, in a sea of not being accepted. You might be asking "why is she fearing not being accepted"??? Well that's easy I am a people pleaser, always have been. It is important for me to feel accepted by my peers and family both personally and professionally. Why, I don't know. I have often said why would anybody not like me. I'm helpful, honest, caring, heck I'd give you the shirt off my back or my last dollar if you needed it but you know one thing I've learned after 37 years is that everyone isn't that way, and yes it upsets me and I need to learn how to deal with that fact. 

Someone said to me recently "I would have never guessed you have so much emotional baggage, you are always happy". That's me too, always "faking it until I make it", which is a lot harder than it seems. The truth is I'm not happy. Let me clarify, I'm a happy person who has gotten good at hiding her emotions very well, I am always worried about other people's happiness and not my own. I don't know how to be truly happy with myself anymore. All of this has lead me to the decision to start finding me, finding the happy person I used to be, to deal with the leftover post Partum depression I'm still fighting, to deal with not saying goodbye to my grandparents, to deal with my illness, all of which will help me be a better Mama to my children. I have been fortunate enough to meet a therapist that I like, that I can cry with, that I trust, that I just clicked with. And I am ready to take this journey, whatever it leads to, or wherever it leads me, I'm ready. 

In January of this year when Michele C asked if I wanted to join another friend of ours in accomplishing the goal of getting healthy I said "sure", never thinking I would be focusing more on my mental/emotional health than my physical health. Yes, I am exercising more, paying more attention to what I am eating, drinking more water but right now the most important thing is for me to get my emotional health in order. To get these weights off my shoulders and I have a feeling once I do that I will a lot lighter and my physical health will come more into focus.