Back To School? Back To YOU!

Every Fall, once the kids are back in school and my sanity starts to return, I remember to put myself back on the list.

I start to remember that I MATTER.

And one of the ways I treat myself is.....
 
to treat myself like a well oiled machine and take myself in for maintenance!!
Dentist, gyno, mole check, physical and mammogram all happen in September and October ( just in time for breast cancer awareness month!)

Back to school is a good time to remember to take care of yourself. After all if you weren't here who would do everything!?

Take this time to book all your appointments. Get a TUNE UP.

No excuses.

And throw a Mani/ Pedi and massage in there too.

Why not? You deserve it!!

Happy Back To You!

It Didn't Turn Out Like She Wanted

My Grandmother passed away a few weeks ago. Although she lived a long life, it still hit me hard. She was my last living grandparent, the end of an era for me. I was so thankful she had spent time with my kids, but selfishly, I felt old. I was no longer was somebody's grandbaby.

The funeral, in my gorgeous hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina, was a nice tribute to her. She was a war bride, had many friends and was a devout christian. I was barely able to stop crying. I was just so SAD she was gone.

Then my Father said something that, at the time, made it even worse.

 "Well, it didn't turn out like she wanted." 

I was FLOORED. It was devastating to me. She had spent her life as a devoted friend, wife, mom and christian and still....I wasn't even sure what my Father meant by it. I didn't ask. It just struck me. What were her dreams? Goals? What had she hoped for?

When I die would people say the same about me?

Part of "Losing My Fabulous" was this feeling of being LOST. Not knowing what direction to go in next. Feeling stuck. Feeling unsatisfied. Feeling unmotivated and depressed. Nothing seemed to be working. Was this my destiny?

On my way home to LA I became MORE sad, until two women magically came into my life on my travels home.

One gave me a great idea.  She took something I had been thinking about and made me think of it in a BIGGER WAY.

And the other, made me feel loved enough to follow through with it. She let me know that the universe was on my side.

These divine encounters, and a meeting with some of my key board members has lead me to launch: WARRIOR MOM.

It encompasses the way I have been feeling, things I have written about and all my passions. I hope you'll follow along and see where this takes me. Where it takes US!
Thank you for always supporting me and encouraging me and sharing your stories! I hope I am inspiring you, making you think, and prompting you to action.

Stay tuned for more on THE WARRIOR MOMS by following on Instagram and Twitter. This is going to be BIG.

I SWAM IN MY OWN DAMN POOL

I'm going to tell you something. I'm like the rest of you. I have a to do list a mile long. I am constantly feeling like I can never get it all done. There is always more emails to answer, work to be done, laundry to clean, and bills to pay. It's ENDLESS.

Knowing this you'd think I'd let myself off the hook? NOOOOOO.....I don't cut myself a break. I do what I am told, go where I am asked, and wake up and do it all over again. Lot's of responsibility and no taking care of myself.

I can remember a very tearful Wynona Judd telling Oprah she forgot to put herself on the list. She had been through so many bad things and struggles and was not taking care of herself. Hence her weight gain and other issues.

The other day I got sick of myself.

I let the living room by messy. I let the laundry pile up. I let those emails go un answered.

And I took a walk. I exercised. It felt great.

And then I did something REALLY RADICAL.

I SWAM IN MY OWN DAMN POOL.

The pool I NEVER go in because:
I don't want to get my hair wet. I don't have enough time. I need to do laundry. The kids are splashing too much. I don't want anyone to see me in a bathing suit. I don't want to put on a bathing suit. It's too cold. It's too hot....and on and on.

Yes I SWAM IN MY OWN DAMN POOL. AND IT FELT GREAT.

I got my damn hair wet too. That pool has been sitting in my back yard for years and I can count on one hand the number of times I have swam in that thing. What the heck??

I am so busy trying to be there for my kids, husband, job, house I will put anything on the list before myself. A swim in the pool was just too indulgent. PLEASE.

Lot's of women will do NOTHING for themselves. They literally have to be FORCED to. You may not have a pool but you know what I am talking about. When is the last time you: READ A DAMN BOOK? CALLED A DAMN FRIEND YOU WANT TO TALK TO? WENT TO A DAMN MOVIE? HAD LUNCH WITH A DAMN GOOD FRIEND?

Well I want you to DO IT TODAY. Put yourself at the top of the list and feel DAMN PROUD you did. I'm giving you permission. And tell that voice in your head it better KEEP IT'S DAMN MOUTH SHUT!