THE BLOG IS BACK. THE BLOG IS BACK. THE BLOG IS BACK.
In all my three years of blogging, I’ve never had a period where it was down for that long. I found out last Thursday a virus had invaded my server, so Bluehost shut me down and then I was traveling all weekend on a girl’s trip to San Diego and to be entirely honest, I just didn’t want to spend my days on the phone with tech people. I ended up having to chase down login info from Google [which is like trying to figure out the Da Vinci Code] and then we transferred the blog back to Blogger, but that was more of a mess than we intended so we went back to WordPress. Ahhhhhh! The blog was private for a while to make sure you guys weren’t seeing all the mess going on so I apologize for any confusion. THANK YOU for bearing with me. That was the biggest headache I’ve had in a very long time.
But the blog is back and this crazy month of travel is coming to a close. On Sunday night we took a red-eye back from San Diego after a very relaxing trip! I haven’t taken a girls trip that actually felt like a vacation in a very long time so this was just what we all needed. We flew into San Diego and then stayed in Coronado which is a little island off San Diego. It was in the 70s and 80s, sunny, and pure bliss. We biked around the island, walked the beach, hiked the beautiful CA mountains, and spent a day at Disneyland. And if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that Disneyland is not just for kids. That place is magical.
We ate Mexican food and drank margaritas for 5 days straight. Laughed harder than I have in months. And didn’t worry about the to-do lists.
Which has me thinking a lot about how I can create more space for my soul to just breathe. A huge part of health is stress management and while I’ve come a long way, there is still areas where I want to have less fuss. Less chaos. Less noise.
There are things on our plates and in our lives that are going to be there, we can’t just toss them out the window. But among the busyness of life, how do we create space for things to feel more calm and centered at the core, even when our plates are full?
So a few things I’ve realized make me full more calm and open up space for me to breathe..
When my closet and room are organized. I’m NOT type A, but when I have a restful space to work and live that isn’t cluttered my soul feels less stuffy and more free. So this week I went nuts and donated four trash bags of clothes and threw away two more bags of just crap I don’t need.
When I hang with my bible in the morning. If my morning starts off without it, I feel more chaotic. If it’s not faith for you though, try setting aside a block of time to be still and get quiet.
Having one night a week where there are no plans. I took a red eye back on Sunday night and have had something going on every night since then. This isn’t atypical, and I don’t like that. And today is Friday and I have a full weekend ahead of wine tasting in Long Island and birthday celebrations which are fun things, but it’s still busy. So I have to be intentional about not planning. I know that creates space for me to just chill out, eat at home and step away from social interaction.
Creating space to breathe. So we can stress less. Share below how you’re doing that too!
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Great post! I create space by catching up on podcasts and blogs/articles in the am with a couple cups of coffee. I just enjoy the quiet time before the day starts in a quiet setting.
I also love catching up with a good friend over the phone or meeting for lunch/coffee, because they always help me take things off my mind! Also, going for a walk in the park listening to NOTHING is so peaceful.
Enjoy your weekend – it sounds super fun!
the morning quiet hours are my absolute FAVORITE and bring me so must rest. coffee and good conversation feeds my soul too 🙂
Great post and so timely. I have been very aware of creating space lately. I took some time off from work to do this and it was amazing how easily I ‘fill the space’ with other things. That said – I did have more time for the things that rejuvenate my soul. I’ve been back at work a few weeks and feel the stress/busyness building again and want to be sure to nip it in the bud
Last weekend the house was a disaster after the whole family being very busy and away a few weekends. Cleaning the house made me realize how much stress is added when it is cluttered, a disaster etc. We are on a constant mission to get rid of stuff and clear out our living space.
Meditating in the morning is so grounding, along wiht running and yoga in the AM
Went to dinner with my 2 best childhood friends last night. SO rejuvenating to laugh and talk about silly, serious and everything in between! That said , I have to balance that as I feel tired from a later night.
Time with my hubby 1:1 – does not happen often enough and when it does we are always reminded of how important it is – it truly helps me feel more grounded, stable, happy….
So this weekend is a full one for us again – but I am declining an invitation on Sunday …something I would love to do but I am learning it is ok to say no – I will not ‘miss’ anything and there will be another time!
Enjoy your weekend and get some rest too 🙂
**Your trip looks like a blast! What a great photo of you on (the teacups???) laughing with your friend !
saying no is one of the HARDEST things and probably what I struggle with the most – right there with you sister! hope you enjoy a very restful weekend 🙂
I am to the point where no plans on the weekends makes me so happy! I wish I was better at doing it during the week, but turning my mind off is hard.
Love all the pictures- glad you had a great time!
SO hard to shut your mind off! I’m a work in progress too 🙂
What a wonderful, fresh reminder to create some space!!
I’m always working hard to create those “moments” when I can just step back and breathe. But sometimes life gets the better of me and I forget to do just that. Time spent in the Bible is definitely one of the best ways for me to refocus as well! I also enjoy a good run or a night spent with a cup of tea and a good magazine (instead of feeling that I have to go out and *do something,* all.of.the.time.)
Thanks for these reminders!! And I love all the pics…especially the one of you and your friends on that ledge! How fun!!
Oh my gosh I love the idea of staying in and just being okay with that- something I’m definitely working on! Hope you’re having a great week!
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Now that I’ve gotten to know myself, I find that having nothing scheduled on the weekend is a source of great joy. During the week, it’s difficult for me to relax and unwind, even though I know I should.