#isagenix – Bee and Kai

Ten random things I’m going to ramble about to update you on my life 🙂

Okay, here we go.

1. We started spring cleaning about two weeks ago and we got so inspired we started painting and renovating and adding more and more to our to-do list. Good thing I like this kind of stuff!

2. Have you ever heard that cleaning and clearing space in your home cleans and creates space in your life? Well, I fully believe in energy and feng shui, chi, etc. – big Marie Kondo fan right here – and anyway, when we started spring cleaning we decluttered the shit out of our house, reorganized everything from closets to kitchen cupboards and even tackled the junk drawer. Literally, a day after we finished a weeks worth of decluttering/cleaning we all got sick, like really really sick. I guess we are all in detox mode, spring cleaning our body, mind, house and spirit!

3. On that note, I was planning on writing a post on the kids’ zero technology use. How in the weeks we had no TV or I-pad use we witnessed their moods shift to happier, calmer, more cheerful toddlers. They played more; alone and with each other. They were able to focus and engage more while doing puzzles, crafts, and listening to stories. Ellanor was forced to communicate more and I cannot tell you how much that has helped all of us! Everyone has been commenting on how her social skills have improved over this short period of no TV. Incredible! But, the best thing about having the TV off was the laughter. Our house was filled with much more laughter. Random dance off’s and full on concert performances; I was compelled to play with them, which at first I thought would be a little annoying since I feel like I get no “me time” as it is, but it turns out I am a much happier mom, wife and human when I play with my kids. ❤

I didn’t end up writing a post about it though, because the night I was thinking of it is the night I got sick and then both girls followed and we have been stuck on the couch with the TV on since. For this, the TV is a pure blessing. I love watching TV, can’t even deny it. There is nothing better when you’re feeling under the weather than to cuddle on the couch squished in your fuzziest blanket watching a cheesy rom-com or Netflix series. Even if that means for us, 5 billion Paw Patrol episodes in a row. I think though, that now that we are feeling better we are going to cut off TV for the girls and just allow it on the weekends! A happy medium. All about balance, right? 😉

4. I finished my 30 day weight loss program with Isagenix and lost a total of 12lbs. I feel more comfortable in my clothes and just all around much more motivated to continue on my health/fitness journey. I hate talking about weight loss because it’s such a sensitive subject. On one hand, I am proud of my dedication and hard work and am excited to get to where I want to be but I’m also being cautious not to obsess, not to let it take over my life and become connected to my happiness. In the past, I have done some really unhealthy things to my body in order to look a certain way and so this time I am approaching it with a conscious effort to make my goals come from a place of love rather than insecurity and fear.

5. Which leads me to my next “thing”! I have recently become an affirmaholic. I use affirmations on the daily now! I’ve been meditating on them. Posting them on my bathroom mirror, on my fridge and my vision board. Malakai has become super interested in it as well; she contributed to our fridge and bathroom sticky note affirmations 🙂 She’s also been doing this mirror exercise with me where you look yourself in the eye and say, “Your name, I love you and I approve of you just the way you are.” The exercise is from a life-changing book I read about a month ago called You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay and it is an INCREDIBLY hard, emotional, transformative and healing thing to practice. In the book, she basically associates everything wrong in your life with a lack of love for yourself. If you can love yourself you can have, do and be anything you want. Try it! Let me know how you feel after 🙂

P.S It is THE CUTEST THING IN THE WORLD to hear Malakai say to herself while looking in the mirror, “Malakai Mayers, I love you.” then she usually adds something silly like “and I love your butt and your poopy poop poop poop.” but still, I am proud 🙂

6. I have been dabbling in poetry again! ❤ ❤ ❤

7. And, CBD/THC oil 🙂 ❤

8. Ellanor has her appointment booked with Dr. Golden for this month! I am anxious. Equally nervous and excited. I am hoping for an answer whatever that may be, but I am also aware that there is a possibility I will hear, “Come back in a few months and we’ll assess her again”… which I guess isn’t so bad just annoying for an impatient Momma like me!

9. Malakai starts soccer in two weeks! 🙂

10. We are going to Red Deer to visit our BFF, Chris, who just became a Daddy! His handsome lil dude was born on Malakai’s birthday! Isn’t that crazy!? Nick and Chris have been best friends since elementary school and he was the best man at our wedding, too. Now their first borns share the same birth date. So cool 🙂

And that is all!

Happy Spring Break! I hope wherever you go or don’t go and whatever you do or don’t do, that you savour each moment.

Breathe, laugh, smile, cry, dance, read, relax, eat, drink, run, yell, scream, be quiet, stretch, think, enjoy the present moment and all that other good shit 😉

xo,
Alyssa

20190414_180305 — This is Malakai’s affirmation. It says, “Thank you very much” ❤

Hi! I’mm baaack!

Remember me? Creator of this blog….been M.I.A for about two years? Yup, names Alyssa if ya’ll forgot! So happy to be writing again… it’s definitely been a while. Before I catch you up on what I’ve been up to for the past two years I should explain why I went M.I.A in the first place.

First things first, when I started the blog I was fresh into regaining my balance in my healing journey. Everything was going great until it wasn’t. In about the span of three months, I lost my child home to flames (see post here), my mom was hospitalized and we were unsure of the outcome (she got out about a month later and hasn’t had a scare since), and tons of other family drama woven in between it all. Needless to say, it was a little too much for my fragile heart to handle at the time and I so badly just needed to pull back, go within and do some soul searching, alone. Reflecting on all the emotions and stress during that storm, I am so proud of myself for taking cover and keeping warm the way I did.

I feel like that year was a decade ago and today I feel like a completely different person.

Stronger, braver, happier.

Has it been easy? Heck no. Not in the least bit. It was the first time in my life I sought help from an outside source. The first time I felt I truly couldn’t do it on my own. I signed up for counselling, went face to face with my present circumstances, dug into past pain, and cried more than I ever had in my life. So healing. I am a strong believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason and I am grateful for that year and all the lessons and healing opportunities it has provided.

Saying that, I really do feel better than ever and thus I am writing again. Yay!

Anyhoo… Here’s a little summary of the past two years and what I’ve been up to lately!

1. I went back to work at the Catholic School District as an Indigenous Liaison. The feeling of waking up early, putting on make up, dressing in clothes, real clothes, not sweat pants or pajamas, and talking to adults for most of my day… Whoa, let me tell you, it was the best feeling ever. Fast forward a year and a bit, I am now working half time and loving the balance between mom life and work life. Actually, if I’m being completely honest, being home with my girls more has made me want to be a stay at home mom again! We will see what the future holds I s’pose 😉

2. My little Ellanor (Bee) has been seeing a speech therapist for about 6 months now. I was concerned about her lack of words around her second birthday (she had maybe 5 words by then?) and so I took her to her pediatrician who then asked me a number of questions about behaviour and such and long story short we are on the waiting list to see the infamous Dr. Golden to see if our little lady has Autism. This, along with some nightmare childcare experiences, is the reason Nick and I decided it would be best for me to work half time. It’s been about two months since we made the change and we have seen heaps of improvement in her language, behaviour, and over all development. Mama’s really do know best! And Daddy’s too, of course 😉

*I just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have reached out and supported us in this process with Ellanor. All the encouraging words and gentle advice, all the listening ears and shoulders I have wet, have been so greatly appreciated. We feel such an incredible love from family, friends and this community and there are no words but thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you ❤

3. I have almost completed my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training!!!! Just a few more assignments to hand in and I’m certified! Cannot believe it. Shari @ Yoga Temple, you are amazing. Thank you for your wisdom and for guiding me through these last 6 months. Namaste ❤

4. I finally got back into working out again and I’ve been feeling wonderful! I started the Isagenix 30 day weight loss program to shred my last few stubborn baby pounds and it’s been surprisingly easy. I don’t feel like I’m starving which is a huge plus because I get super hangry.

5. Just finished reading Tim Ferriss’ book, The 4 hour Work Week, which is life changing guys! Highly recommend it!

6. We have been going outside more and more recently. Everyday this last week! It is the best feeling. Nothing grounds me, connects me, brings me back to me and closer to God the way Mother Nature does. Winters here are hard and long and can become very depressing when you’re forced to stay inside, however, they say there’s no bad weather just bad clothing and I remember always being outside in the winter as a child so next year I am going to buy the proper gear and go outside as much as possible! No more excuses! Mother nature heals. And its free 😉

7. Every year we participate in Lent even though we are not Catholic or Christian (Nick and I were baptized Catholic but do not practice), but we do believe in God and we love Jesus! We also love Buddha and his teachings and I love learning about all religions but anyway, I digress! This year for lent, we have decided to give up screen time for the girls. That means zero TV shows, movies, I-pad etc. except if it is out of our control like going to a friends house and they have a show on. Kay, this is so embarrassing but I was SO anxious about going through with this no screen time thing that I actually googled “how to have no screen time with your kids” Bahahaha. Oh man. Surprisingly though, it has been easy peasy and the benefits have been immense. More family time, more interaction, more giggles, more spontaneous dance parties. So fun! It’s been a week (we started early) and they don’t even ask for it anymore! Malakai keeps telling everyone our TV is broken but it’s getting fixed on Easter. Lol.

8. I’ve been writing a lot more. Obvi…But not just here. I’ve started a new project that has been tugging at my heart strings for years and I am so so happy about it. And scared shitless. But mostly happy 🙂

And, that is pretty much it!

Talk to ya soon! 🙂

Xo,

Alyssa