Celebrating life + Mary Grace Jewellery Giveaway

June 18, 2013 By 28 Comments

The next couple of weeks mark a whirlwind of celebration in our household.  My wedding anniversary, birthday and first kid-free holiday in FOREVER!

(I will leave it up to you to decide which event I am most hyped about).

The thing is, there’s no point in celebrating alone.

I need a back up dancer and some adornment junkies to join me!

In the spirit of Celebrating Life, I’ve decided to run a luscious wee giveaway, compliments of  Mary Grace Jewellery.

Mary is a stay at home mamma of six kids, aged 8 years old and under.  With two sets of twins and two singletons, – they make an adorable line up, on their daily procession into school.

Here’s Mary with a few of her exquisite creations – all independently designed and handcrafted in her home-based studio in Brisbane.

maryg Celebrating life + Mary Grace Jewellery Giveaway

We are giving one lucky winner the chance to win any two pieces from the Mary Grace collection.

Some earrings and a pendant,  a bracelet and a ring, some beads or a cuff – it will be the winners choice.

Ribbet collage1 Celebrating life + Mary Grace Jewellery Giveaway

 For your chance to win, complete the entry requirements below.  Or, if you would like to purchase something from her site yourself, you can do so here.

You are also eligible for 15% off any of her items by using discount code fb15off .

♥ Be a blog subscriber (add your email address at the bottom of this blog post where it says ‘Sign up for Monthly celebration notes’
♥ Like Mary Grace Jewellery on Facebook. Go here.
♥ Like my facebook page, if you are not already a fan. Go here
♥Leave a comment telling us why you would like to win.

Terms and conditions:

This giveaway is worldwide and runs from now until midnight, July 1st, Australian Eastern Standard Time.

You must fulfill the entry criteria for a valid entry.

Winners will be chosen using random.org, emailed and announced on this blog post.

Please leave a correct email address and don’t forget to check your emails.

*By the way, this is NOT a sponsored post.  I am the proud owner of some of Mary’s pieces myself and can attest to the beauty and quality of her work.

 

Good Luck!
36537AFECECB02374C1B7A4B5318F1EA Celebrating life + Mary Grace Jewellery Giveaway__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SIGN UP FOR MONTHLY CELEBRATION NOTES – Tools and encouragement designed to support you in crafting your best life.

Filed Under: Celebrating Life

Meditation for kids

June 10, 2013 By 21 Comments

meditate Meditation for kids

The long espoused benefits of meditation, have now been proven by neuroscience and endorsed by medical professionals.

No longer viewed as a discipline purely for hippies and religious types, meditation has gone mainstream.

As one of my primary self-care passions – I’m quietly excited that my children are now choosing to join me for regular meditation.

Many of you have asked how I got them into meditation practice to begin with and if I would share the process.

Well.

It all began with simple curiosity….

Meditation for kids

My daughters have been persistently interrupting my morning meditation practice for the past year.

Wondering why I was always sitting on the floor with my eyes closed they soon insisted asked, if they could join me.

Focus on the simple art of breathing

We began by regularly spending time focused on our breathing. (Something that 90 percent of us are apparently doing wrong).

Sitting down and concentrating on your breathing is a simple way to begin meditation and something that can be easily mastered by all!

Guided meditations for short periods of time

The first few times we had a go at formal meditation – there was a lot of giggling, eye squinting and poking each other.

I set the scene by laying down a blanket on the floor and lighting some candles.  For whatever reason, they soon settled into taking things more seriously.

We always do guided meditations – lead by myself, or with the help of youtube.

A quick search under ‘meditation for kids’ or ’5 minute meditations for kids’ will yield a plethora of results.

Ground rules and expectations

The only rule we have for practicing meditation, is that participation is voluntary.

No one is required to join in, but if they choose to- they agree to sit still for the duration of our time together.

The first few weeks, we started with just two minutes.  These days, we meditate for five minutes (sometimes twice daily), along with the occasional 10 minute session.

Encouraging their use of imagination and creativity

Our most enjoyable sessions involve imagining the sun on our faces, or that we are part of the sun, the stars or the sky.

Visualising bubbles is also a favourite –  counting them, popping them or focusing on the way it might feel to be a bubble floating on the breeze.

We also take imaginary trips – to the beach, a park, or a favourite ‘secret spot’.

We have taken some thrilling adventures together via meditation and what never fails to impress – is how beautifully curious and creative kids can be.

Feedback and encouragement

At the end of our practice, I ask my girls individually, if they would like to share, how the experience was for them.

Sometimes they report that nothing happened. Other times they tell me a story about how they imagined they were a giant bubble or a mermaid swimming in the ocean.

Often, they remark that they don’t know what happened, other than ‘it felt good’!

White space and ritual

I hope that one day, my girls will be able to draw on some of these skills when they are alone and in need of a little extra peace.

For now, meditation is fast becoming another one of our favourite rituals.

A time for them to sit still, relax and focus on themselves.

A precious opportunity for us to be together – without an agenda.

 

Big Love,
36537AFECECB02374C1B7A4B5318F1EA Meditation for kids__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SIGN UP FOR MONTHLY CELEBRATION NOTES – Tools and encouragement designed to support you in crafting your best life.

Filed Under: Self-Care

How to let go when it’s bloody hard!

June 4, 2013 By 22 Comments

Tear 225x300 How to let go when its bloody hard!I lost a friend at the beginning of the year, for reasons, I’m still unclear.  I attempted to talk to her about it, but she refused any real discussion.

She took rain checks on get-togethers and gave me a wide berth, at the mall one day.

I was distraught and spent weeks months feeling terrible, wondering what I had done.

It slowly sunk in, that perhaps this wasn’t just about me.

It was her issue.

That realisation helped set me free.

The fact that she no longer wanted to be friends still hurt.  But I was able to let myself feel what I needed to feel, without self-judgement.

One fine day, I woke up and no longer felt upset about it.

I was able to let go.

Just Let Go

How many times have you heard that, or read that?

How many times have you wanted to do just that, but found it an impossible task?

Letting go can be as simple as it sounds, and just as difficult.

How to let go.

Sometimes letting go takes time.

We need some space to move out of that place of blaming ourselves and others.

Time to reflect and separate ourselves from the story we have been constructing in our minds.

The one where we continue to look for evidence that it’s either our fault or the fault of others.

The mind see what it wants to see

Our brains have a tendency for flawed thinking. We think quickly, but are only able to process a certain amount of information at one time.

This confirmation bias has us effectively selecting information that confirms our thoughts and flits over evidence that contradicts our beliefs.

The result, is that sometimes our minds play tricks on us. Things are not always as clear-cut as they appear

I find that it helps to acknowledge that what may appear as the black and white truth, is usually tinged with grey.

We have no control over what someone else is thinking and we’re not responsible for other peoples stuff.

We’re only responsible for our own.

Take responsibility

Let go of the need to be right all the time.

Let go of the desire to control every circumstance, outcome or personal interaction you have.

Stop thinking that you know what someone else is thinking or what they are going through.

Chances are, you don’t.

Even the most perceptive and intuitive amongst us, get it wrong some of the time.

We misinterpret signals and make assumptions.

When it comes to conflict in your relationships, judge your thinking by how resourceful it feels.

Sink into your body for clues.  Do you feel at peace, or do you still feel resistance, anger and a sense of being stuck?

 

Give yourself the grace of time.

Some hurts dissipate quickly and others take time.  A really long time.

When you insist on ‘getting over it’ today – it becomes very easy to slip into a place of self-judgement, where you effectively hold yourself hostage with self-blame.

If you’re not ready to get over it today, then you’re not ready.

Tell people that if you need to.

If you feel stuck, then remember to practice compassion – for yourself and others.

Have faith.

If you have a strong desire and intention to move forward, you will reach a resolution!

 

Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone.

We all face struggles. We all get caught up in our thoughts and feelings.

Even life-coaches, psychologists, healers, and spiritual advisors.

We’re all freaks!
Big Love,
36537AFECECB02374C1B7A4B5318F1EA How to let go when its bloody hard!__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SIGN UP FOR MONTHLY CELEBRATION NOTES – Tools and encouragement designed to support you in crafting your best life.

Filed Under: Psychology
«Older Posts