still time to join One Move

Hello beautiful soul,

This is the part where I tell you that One Move has come together as one of my favorite ecourses ever. We are diving into so much goodness with this content, and an incredible circle of women is forming. Today we have our first Spreecast, which is going to be set up like a true workshop with Kelly and me as we explore what living the life we imagine for ourselves really means. (And if you can't make the call, it will be recorded so you can experience it when you have time.)

If you've felt the pull to come along, now is the time.

We close registration Wednesday evening. 

Read more right here.

Love and light,

Liz

exploring the longings

I posted the following photo on Instagram a few weeks ago and shared these words:

Post coming soon about how we're trying "rainbow dinners" around here to get her to try new foods. (What you aren't seeing in this photo: 3 huge Uline boxes with shipping supplies, an IKEA candle chandelier with about ten spider webs, bird poop on one of the cushions, weeds taller than EJ, and the face of my daughter as she whines "fine I don't want dessert because I'm NOT trying that plum. I'm only eating corn and strawberries!")

I wrote all that extra "what you aren't seeing" info because I know that so often when we scroll through Instagram, we see dreamy, filtered photos and start to fill in the blanks of what we think our "friends'" lives must look like. I know this because I do it too.

I've been known to create a whole story by looking at just one photo.

This might have happened for someone reading my "rainbow dinner" post earlier this week, looking at the table filled with colorful bowls and plates and a happy tablecloth.

They might have even had a thought like, "We're lucky if we take the Mac and Cheese out of the microwave container." (I'm writing that example because it's one we live too some days.)

But again, it all comes down to choices. Here are just a few of the choices hiding in the filtered photo above:

• More joy at dinner time: I've gathered quite a few happy bowls and mismatched plates over the years because they always make me smile and can make the simplest dinners full of more joy. Happy straws and flowers on the table more often helps me access this joy too.
• My everyday life is worthy of using the good stuff: I've started using the vintage tablecloths I've been collecting instead of keeping them for the parties I will throw one day or only using them for retreats. I've begun to own that my everyday life is is worthy of "using the good stuff."
• Quieting the self-judgement: We've been sitting on the back porch even though we're sometimes surrounded by boxes of shipping supplies or a few cobwebs or weeds because eating dinner outside makes us happy. And sitting at the table is a habit we are slowly cultivating. It isn't happening every day but I'm trying to record evidence that it does because it helps me soften self-judgement.

Each day, I'm making small but tangible choices toward the life I want. When I'm waiting for things to all come together or for life to get easier or wishing for my habit of stacking instead of putting away to change, I'm not paying attention to the awesome life we are already living, to the moments full of love and joy.

Of course this doesn't mean that every day feels like it's full of rainbows and ease. Quite the opposite actually. It also doesn't mean I'm trying to wish this current life into something else. Nope. Making small moves every day toward the life I want is actually about being in the present and seeing the beauty that is already here.

And I want my daughter to see the ways I live my dreams into reality even in this small house with the weeds growing next to the hosta plants.

Perhaps more importantly, I want to look myself in the eyes each day and know I'm making the choice to open my heart more each day and really live.

Yep.

Today, I invite you to notice what comes up when you're scrolling through Instagram (or other social media). Do you find yourself feeling longings inside to step inside the photos you see? (And if you notice judgement coming up, look closer to see if a longing is actually inside that judgement.)

Then, take some time to listen to those longings and what they have to teach you. Do you want to travel more? Cuddle more? Read more? Do you want to make more space for writing or adventures or rest?

Think about what moves you could make toward those longings.

rainbow dinner

We've hit that stage where Ellie is saying things like, "I don't like green guys" when she sees bit of basil in her pasta sauce or jumping to "I don't like {insert new food she's never had here.}" The good thing is that she already eats a wide variety of foods and loves several fruits and veggies that she eats daily. But as we dive into farmers' market season here, I really want her to at least try fresh foods that are new to her.

A few weeks ago, I had this sudden brainstorm: Rainbow Dinner.

I explained that we were going to go to the market near our home and buy two fruits we love + one we've never tried, two vegetables we love + one we've never tried, and two cheeses we love + one we've never tried. And we were going to look for all different colors as we were exploring.

Ellie was so excited! She even wanted to wear her rainbow skirt to match her dinner.

We walked through the store naming all the foods and deciding what to put in the cart. There was a lot of: Let's try PURPLE CARROTS! I want to try those yellow tomatoes. Oh yes yes Mommy we MUST get those avocados, I'll put them in the bottom of the cart for you.

It was awesome.

We then worked together to wash and gather everything into pretty bowls and plates and ate at the table on the backporch.

She tried a bite of everything. She didn't like everything, but she was really happy to try. This didn't happen the next time we did "rainbow dinner." She only wanted to try the things she liked. The next time she was more open. And now she loves eating strawberries off the stem even though it means being closer to the green guys.

We've also turned our rainbow dinner into a rainbow pizza the next night when she wanted to put the yellow tomatoes and even the prosciutto onto her pizza. And we've done rainbow pasta.

But here is the really important part: On one hand, yes, this is a story about a parenting win. And I really believe in recording the wins so you can look at them and remember that there are moments when what you are trying to do works...where there is more joy than arguing...where there is softness and laughter.

But this is really about me taking the time to imagine the life I really want to create over here. I want there to be more fresh food going into our bodies. But I don't cook every day and that isn't going to change overnight. I'm not someone who thinks ahead of time about dinner and find myself texting with Jon at the end of the day saying, "Just get takeout again." And we eat in front of the TV sometimes. A lot of times.

Even though takeout will still happen and we will still sit in front of the TV sometimes, I have a choice:

Beat myself up for not being the kind of mom who cooks every night.

OR

Make one move toward more dinners at the table + getting Ellie to try new foods by having some version of rainbow dinner a couple of nights a week.

I can make the choice to make one more move toward the life I want to create over here. Beating myself up for not making those moves gets me nowhere closer to that life today.

And those moves start to add up. Ellie is now saying, "Can we go to the market and get food for rainbow dinner after nap today?"

Yes, honey. Yes. We. Can.

*****

If the idea of unearthing the life you're imagining for yourself and then making one move each day toward it resonates with you, consider joining Hand to Heart, my free ongoing community of women. Each month I share different ideas to add to your current self-care practice and we explore ways to make simple moves toward living the life we really want for ourselves and our loved ones.

Learn more and request to join right here.

One Move

Imagine a girl dreaming of happy colors, long walks, more laughter.
Imagine a girl remembering how she used to sew, sketch, and daydream about writing a book.
Imagine a girl trusting that she can live the life she wants even though the twists and turns have brought her to some unexpected places.
Imagine a girl choosing to make one move toward this dream, this life every day.

Come along with the girls of Chickadee Road and reconnect with that girl inside you as you make One Move each day toward the life you imagine for yourself.

In “One Move,” Kelly Barton and I will lead you in a two-week adventure of reconnecting with that inquisitive, wise girl inside you as you name the life you want and discover and begin practicing one move each day toward that life.

In Week 1, we'll dive into naming and claiming the life you've imagined and open up toward living it. 

In Week 2, we'll begin to practice making one small but significant move each day toward that life. We will also look at ways to continue the "One Move" practice after our two-week adventure ends.

Details:

Dates: July 14-25, 2014

What “One Move” includes:

1) Daily emails Monday through Friday that will guide you in connecting with the dreams inside you and the life you imagine. There will be creative prompts to help you discover your "moves," inspiration, and stories from our own experiences.

2) Four Spreecasts: 

• Week 1 will include a 90-minute workshop with Liz and Kelly just like you are with us in the circle at one of our retreats. We will each share stories and guide you through a journaling exercise to help you name the pieces of the life you’ve imagined for yourself.
• Each week will also include an hour long question & answer session, which will also give time for you to share your stories and might even include a guest or two. 
• A follow-up session about a month after the class ends to give you the opportunity to check in, ask questions, share where you are, and so on. (This also gives people who are working through the material a bit more slowly a chance to still participate in a Spreecast and ask questions and share where they are in the process.)

If you are unable to attend the Spreecasts live, they will be recorded and you can watch (and re-watch) them at any time.

3) A private Facebook group where we can connect with one another, share stories, ask questions, check in, and be in community together.

Cost: $75 (Register over on Chickadee Road)

This class is for you:
 

If you’ve felt discouraged as you experience the disconnect between your everyday life and the life you envision for yourself.

You might even have stories like, “When this {big change} happens, I will finally do {insert dream here}.” Or "I thought by the time I was {insert age here}, I would {insert something you always wanted to do but haven't done yet}.

And even though life is good, you feel a longing to make some changes, to come back to center, or to spend some time with the dreams you had when you were younger. You feel a longing to invite in more joy and more light and more space.

The two of us have been there. And this is what we’ve learned: Each day you can make the choice to take one step toward the life you want. And then you can take one more step the next day. Even when you’d rather go back to bed. Even when life takes an unexpected turn. Even when the morning starts with burnt toast. 

Kelly and I would love to have you come along. Head over to Chickadee Road to read more (including an FAQ) and register.