Out Like a Lamb

Lambs are cute... and always seem to be having fun. I'd like to be a lamb more often, as I'm super busy right now! I don't know about you and what's going on in your life at the moment, but for me, my days and nights are full! I'm not only producer for an independent film (which wraps up principal photography in mid-April), but I'm also acting in the film! I'm also hustling with my husband (we do Grub Hub and others), I'm a full-time mum to two feral boys, homeschooling, writing my books, doing tarot and tea readings, lifecoaching, writing classes to teach, writing this blog, learning a language, and a number of other things at any given time. Free time? What's that?!

So, let's talk a little about ways to take care of yourself when you're super busy!

1. SLEEP! Make sure you're getting enough sleep for YOU! Different people need different amounts of sleep, but YOU know how much you need to function well. Myself, I easily get by on about five hours, maybe six. My husband on the other hand, needs eight or nine! (I've read somewhere that Gemini need more sleep... I don't know if that's true, but MY Gemini sure does!) So yes, get yourself to bed with enough time to get in your required hours of sleep every night!

2. Eat Healthy! Eating healthy meals is better all around, and you'll feel more energised!

3. Take a Bath! Not just any bath, light a candle, put on some relaxing music, light some incense and have a cup of tea. Put your favourite essential oil, or bath salts in and let the stress melt away in the warm envelope of water.

4. Pamper Yourself! Do your nails, try a new face mask... whatever makes you feel pampered. Even a small thing might be enough... you took time for yourself! YAY!

5. Ask for Help. There's no shame in asking someone to help... help you clean one day, take the kids for a couple of hours, help you cook up a week's worth of food to freeze so you can pop something in the slow cooker every day, reducing the amount of time you have to spend each night in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. I actually used to do this thing with a friend, two days a week, we'd clean. One day at my house, one day at hers. We called ourselves The Cleaning Amigas. I know, not extremely inventive, but it worked for us. I actually LIKE doing dishes... she hated it. She actually LIKED doing sweeping/mopping... I hated it, so we each did the parts we liked at each others houses, and everything ended up getting done. You may not have two days a week to exchange like that, but the point is, you can ask for help. It's really okay.

How do YOU take care of yourself during your busiest times? Comment below!






Namaste & Latcho Drom

Self-care for Daylight Saving Time

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, Spring is on the way. While the weather in some places-like where I live- doesn't reflect this (it snowed three days in a row this week EDIT: AND again overnight!), the beginning of Daylight Savings Time (Sunday March 10th this year) says otherwise. "SPRING forward" and all that.

According to timeanddate.com, "Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of setting the clocks forward one hour from standard time during the summer months, and back again in the fall, in order to make better use of natural daylight."

Benjamin Franklin first proposed the idea of DST all the way back in 1784, but the modern version was suggested in 1895. In 1916, Germany became the first country to implement DST nationwide. But, enough history...

The act of changing the clocks, in this case forward an hour can wreak havoc on people's sleep and mood. A little self-care during the transition time may help alleviate the effects. We're going to lose a whole hour of sleep. To some -like myself, who has never had anything even closely resembling a sleep pattern- this may not be a big deal... my husband on the other hand can be "off" for a week or more after. So what can you do? 

1. Go to bed an hour early on Saturday, and get up an hour earlier on Sunday (yeah, I know it's the weekend, you want to sleep in -unless you have to work- but getting up early on a day you won't get in trouble with the boss helps you adjust without jeopardizing your job). If you can't handle the whole hour, do 30 minutes early to bed, 30 minutes early to wake. Try not to nap on Sunday! (If you have time, try starting off tonight at 15-30 minutes early and get up the same amount of time early in the morning.)

2. Avoid caffeine at night, opt for a cup of soothing chamomile or mint tea, or drink water.  Turn your electronics off earlier for the transition. The artificial light can trick our minds into thinking it is earlier than it is. Instead, if safe, light a scented candle and put on some ambient music while enjoying that tea. 

3. Go all out with a therapeutic bath! (I love these!) While drinking your relaxing tea, and listening to ambient music by candlelight, why not take it a step further? Draw a warm bath and put in some lavender herb (in an organza bag if you have one to avoid having to scoop the herb out before draining the tub), lavender oil, or your favourite bath salts. Jasmine oil is also considered a great sleep scent, or if you have a personal scent that you find especially soothing, use that!

4. Even if you don't have to get up early to work or go to school, do so anyway and get some sun! Weather permitting, a brisk walk, yoga or light exercise will go a long way in getting that morning energy up and get your mind and body on the new schedule. If you have kids, get them up for a little early morning movement with you. It will help them transition better as well. Plus, sun = good for you! If you can't get out into the sun, sit near a sunny window and soak up some rays.

5. It's not all about sleep... our mood can be affected by the time change, so pamper yourself on Sunday. A mani-pedi, some dark chocolate, a day out with friends, meditation, family movie matinee with healthy snacks... whatever lifts your spirits, make it a point to do soul and psyche uplifting activities.

Great Morning Yoga Poses to get going:

The Cat-Cow Pose

 Warrior (1) Pose

 Warrior (2) Pose














Check out this article for 5 more Morning Yoga poses.


What are ways YOU help yourself transition during the Spring time change? Comment below!






Namaste & Latcho Drom!