A new challenge

Last week I decided to start a new challenge. For 30 days I will complete one relaxing activity and one enriching activity every day. Then I will write about them at the end of each week and pick my favorites at the end of the challenge. It has been a lot of fun so far, and I am excited to share my experiences on my blog!

Day One:
Relaxation - Reading
Enrichment - Sewing

Reading is nice, and setting aside time during the day to do it helps to interrupt the bustle of the day. I loved sewing the skirt and dress, because they were easy to make and turned out very cute. (PS - Grace's dress looks cute with a short-sleeved sweater over it or a shirt under it)



Day Two:
Relaxation - Bath
Enrichment - Bath Oil

This is one of the easier challenges, but it is sooooooo worth it! A hot bath can work miracles of sore or tense muscles, and adding a nice bath oil (mine was a lemongrass oil) can moisurize the skin and awaken your senses. My kids are wonderful, because they did not interrupt me while I took my bath, so I got 30+ minutes to really soak it in. Hehe.


Day Three:
Relaxation - Aromatherapy
Enrichment - Journaling

Here is what I wrote in my journal:
"We slept in, then grabbed sushi for lunch. I did aromatherapy and a core workout, and we had pizza for dinner. The aromatherapy is great for my sinuses and the steam is really good for my skin. I had dark chocolate with almonds for a snack."

I kept it short and sweet, but I figured writing down information for all of my other days and also writing letters earlier in the week balanced it out and made the short journal entry worthy of being my sole enrichment activity for this day. By the way, wintermint oil is a little strong for aromatherapy. I will have to use lavendar or jasmine next time!

Day Four:
Relaxation - Yoga
Enrichment - Bread

I adore yoga for many reasons, but the best reason is how much it relaxes my body and mind. Supreme 90 Day is making my muscles tense, so a long session of yoga was much needed. No matter what I am doing or where I am going, yoga can always make me feel better and more balanced. I can safely say this will be one of my top 5 choices for best relaxation. I made some delicious garlic and parmesan bread for my enrichment activity. I didn't mix or knead it by hand, but we could all make use of the tools we have, right? I love my bread machine. :-)


Day 5:
Relaxation - Mediation
Enrichment - Hair Styles

Beach day! We had a great time outside in the sand and surf. I did hairstyles without washing my hair afterwards (I know... tsk tsk.... whatever!). Mediation only works if your surroundings are CALM. Try explaining that to two kids on a "beach high".

Okay, I retried meditation after the kids went to bed. I let my mind wander and then wrote about it afterwards....

I was in a coral reef with fish, seaweed, sea turtles, seahorses, mermaids, and oysters. One oyster had a pearl, so I gave it to the mermaids and they made a toe-ring for me. The one who presented it to me gave me an embrace, then I flew to a cloud, where an angel greeted me. I made a dress out of cloud and the angel lead me to the edge of the cloud to see the world below. I asked to be placed on top of Enchanted Rock. As I sat on top I looked beside me and saw a butterfly flapping its wings. As the wings flapped clouds slowly blew away and trees rustled. I watched the clouds make shadows on the land below, then looked back at the butterfly, but it had turned into a jeweled clip. I put it in my hair and transported myself to a hammock on a beach between two coconut trees. There was a mountain and a stream behind me. The kids played quietly nearby while Bryan strummed his guitar.

Meditation is a nice way to reconnect with your body and your mind. You can sit or lay down, I preferred to lay down this time. Deep breathing and relaxed thinking can help you refresh yourself at the beginning or end of any day.

Okay, here are some pics of my messy wind-blown hair styles!