MESSY LIFE

Lifelong Learning

It is never too late to learn. The back to school crunch can influence you, even if you don't have children. Do you remember the excitement of that new book bag and lunch pail?  That feeling of "a hopeful fresh start" as you put on your new outfit and fresh shiny shoes and ventured out into the next grade.

Let the change in season, from Summer to Autumn, inspire you to try something different. Take a class, start a new hobby, join a group. Be a student again.

Back to School

 I laugh every time I see this old Staples “Back to School” commercial.  First off, you have to like a company that depicts a dad shopping with his kids and secondly, watching him dance gleefully down the isles picking out school supplies, while the kids stare blankly, is something many parents may have felt at this time of year.

Although it is humorous in a commercial, the in-store meltdowns I've  witnessed lately don’t look like all that much fun.

Parents ultimately want to send their children off to school on the first day excited and happy with anticipation; not stressed out before they start.

Some helpful tips:

• To avoid hurt feelings, don’t show too much excitement about them going back to school.
• Do show great enthusiasm for the coming year. Talk up school.
• Plan your shopping trip when you have plenty of time. Make it a special day rather than a chore.
• Get the house, back to school routines, and supplies in order, before school starts.
• Rehearse and prepare your child. Be clear about expectations. Avoid the: “We are not going to have another year like last year….,” lectures. 

I'm on a roll...more on weight

 I mentioned awhile back that I went to Blogher. At the conference I was standing at the elevator and this warm and friendly woman started talking to me. She is Janice Taylor artist, author, and weight-loss coach (to name a few of her many talents.)
She is the author of,  Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal and her latest book, All is Forgiven, Move On.

I think that after discussing bodily image and function on my last post, it seems fitting to follow up with an introduction to Janice's approach to weight loss. Most people know that diets don't work. It is not the food, but our attitude and relationship with it that gets us into trouble. Janice fully understands this and has a playful and humorous approach to weight loss. In fact, Janice has "101 Fat Burning Steps"  to manage negative self talk and behaviors, and support you on "Your Journey to Sveltesville."

Equally helpful and supportive are her KICK IN THE TUSH CLUB groups. It helps to have other like minded individuals to share your journey with.

Her approach is guilt free and as her autograph in my copy of All is Forgiven says, " Spread the word not the icing."

 

Menopause Tummy and Other Afflictions

I spent yesterday celebrating my girlfriend's birthday.  Our conversation these days focuses on body changes; ours and every other woman in her 50's we know. We intend to talk about other things, but the conversation invariably arrives at and stays stuck on everyones health issues. We hate to sound cranky and we swore we never would sound like those other "old people" complaining about their body parts, but there we go. The rant begins: our tummy is bigger, things are lower,we can't see or hear that well anymore, we don't want to have the colonoscopy  because so and so just got diagnosed and we are just not ready for being next, and....

It is not as if we feel we are exempt from the aging process or should be, but rather we continually find ourselves surprised by what our body is doing or refusing to do. It does not feel as if this has been gradual. It feels as though one day we tried to get up in the morning and someone substituted our body for an older less healthy model.  We clearly took our bodies for granted and now they are getting even.

Unfortunately by our age, we have now had parts of ourselves monitored, removed, or replaced. Illness and injury have become a concern and trips to the doctor seem more anxiety provoking now that we and those we love, have been treated for things.

Before I call someone, I have to stop and think what ailment I am inquiring about because I have made some mistakes in the past. No one wants to be asked about their knee when it was their torn Achilles; especially when they fear their knee is next.

Most of us understand that we are more than our afflictions, but reaching out to others and becoming  more informed can help remind us of that. 

For women going through menopause: a great site is menopausetheblog.com    Today's post has an article on Belly fat with a great accompanying tummy photo.  Another menopause site I like and have used regularly, is Dr. Susan Love. She writes about menopause and breast cancer.

 

GreatSchools - Take Two

Sometime back in March, Greatschools.net was working on driving a community dialog based on their "Ask the Experts" feature.  It was a first time experiment using my  Q&A from the newsletter and linking it directly into the parent community.  I then was asked to watch it for a designated period of time and comment further on the subsequent parents' comments. 

Starting Monday August 18th - August 8th they are trying it again with new and improved links and so forth. So come by and visit and comment.  I will be commenting only on the newest Q&A which are dated 8/13 on their site. 

Check out the whole site for a variety of school based issues.

Stop, Relax, & Think

A vacation can remind you of how tense and overly extended you have been; especially if your travels included some down time.

Stress, anxiety, or depression, can lead to impulsive decisions that you might regret later."Stop, Relax, and Think" is a popular board game designed to teach children with impulse challenges how to slow down. However, the phrase and concept can be adapted for adults whenever they find themselves becoming reactionary. 

When you notice yourself becoming tense:

1. STOP! Freeze like the freeze dance or freeze tag games you played as a kid.
2. RELAX! Breathe, count to 10 ,or think of a calming scene.
3. THINK! Now that you have slowed down, what do you want to say or do in this situation?

Practicing those three little words and actions can help carry the restorative powers of a vacation with you.