Organization

Posted on by JC Rizk

Update to our Marie Kondo–inspired organization of our house; this post continues to allude me because every time I think about writing it, I am overwhelmed by what we completed so far and even more so by the amount of work yet to complete! Hubby and our awesome contractor completed my “Zen Room” and it’s starting to gain its identity. We moved our sleeper sofa in there, Salvation Army picked up the clothes and books today, so you can actually see most of the floor now! I have one corner with items to sell in a yard sale, otherwise it’s clear. My yoga mats live here, as well as my yoga block; my hope is to find a large basket for these items and a blanket, so that they aren’t just leaning up in the corner of the room. My last project for this room is to refinish/paint an old glider and replace its cushions. This project is sentimental for me, as my parents rocked me in the glider, then for a short time the glider lived with my Sito and Gido {grandmother and grandfather}, and now is back with me. I think with a little face lift, it will be a beautiful piece to continue to serve our family.

Meet Vaquita {“little cow”}

I was trying to take a picture of just how empty and simplistic the Zen Room is and our Bernese decided she would make an excellent addition — I admit, she’s not wrong! In fact, this is the coolest room in the house, so it’s often her favorite to lay in, especially with the tile floor!

While I was in Connecticut with the kids, Hubby organized most of the office and then upon my return, I organized the kids’ art supplies and my scrapbooking/art supplies as well, but there is still plenty of work to be done in the office, especially regarding my paperwork. I tend to hold onto paper items under the guise of ‘you never know when you’ll need them’. Hubby then responds ‘paper is dead’, which breaks my heart a bit, but I know he’s right in this case {don’t tell him that though}. In September, Hubby and I are going on a cruise {the kids will go to Florida — thank you Abuela and Abuelo!} and when we get back, just Hubby is going down to Florida to visit for longer and retrieve the babes. Do you realize what that means?! I have several days, at home, by MYSELF! I plan to go through items I have in the garage {home decorations, sports equipment, and kids’ items} and finish organization in the office while on my own. Then maybe fit in a massage and yoga class! I’m stoked!

The last, and most overwhelming to organize will be sentimental items, especially photographs, in my case. I am thinking about getting my childhood albums transferred to digital copies and then just keeping certain physical copies once completed. I also want to then update our photo collages that we have in our hallway. We made the decision to move forward with our home renovation, which is exciting and daunting! We are hoping to start this fall or next spring — either way, coming fast and that means that I need to start packing items for storage and work on design ideas for the rooms!

Along with the organization, we’ve kept up a lot of reading in the house; I borrowed some sweet books for the kids and one for me from the library recently. Girls Like Us was an amazing novel with some interesting twists! Looking forward to reading more from Cristina Alger — for the kids, I think my favorite from these picks was My Forest is Green by Darren Lebeuf — it was about the artistic rendering of a young boy after exploring the forest near him. Bird wanted to continuously read it — I think it encouraged the adventurer inside and we went on a few nature walks collecting acorns, nuts, and flowers in the neighborhood.

Currently, I am sitting in the zen room with a full breakfast, including tea and my book, while editing this post, which can only mean one thing…. Spoiler alert: I started this post several weeks ago and I am currently in the house while Hubby and the babes are visiting with los abuelos, so please forgive the “in September” reference! I’m also ready to post about Hubby’s and my first cruise vacation and my next book review, so stay tuned!

Book Review: May, June, & July

Posted on by JC Rizk
Sunrise in the Harbor

This past week I returned to the early morning routine and it’s unbelievable how quickly it improved my mood! Jogged several mornings with my awesome neighbor — it’s always nice to have someone to motivate you. If I didn’t have a jogging partner, I’m pretty sure I would continue to sleep in and thus continue with my previous funk. Also, I kept the ball rolling with journaling, practicing yoga and reading! In fact, these past three months were extremely productive with reading for fun:

  • Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco {3 stars}
  • Save Me the Plums by Ruth Reichl {4 stars}
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen {5 stars}
  • Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict {4 stars}
  • Becoming by Michelle Obama {3 stars}
  • Recursion by Blake Crouch {4 stars}
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens {4 stars}

Let’s start with the 3 star reads: Hunting Prince Dracula was a fun, mysterious read, which I recommend to any who like supernatural mysteries, and I plan to read the first book in the series {you do not have to read the first to enjoy the second}. It may not be the first book I run to, but it was good and had a unique plot. Becoming was extremely interesting and I wanted to love it, but I was disappointed overall. It was the second audiobook that I listened to and I expected it to be phenomenal because Michelle Obama is such a dynamic speaker. However, part of me thought the writing was too descriptive and her reading was not as dynamic I expected. That being said, her history is fascinating and I wonder if this book would improve upon physical reading. I can only imagine me trying to read what I wrote off a page; I doubt it would sound as fluid as me speaking with others, and in my mind, I honestly think that was the issue. I plan to read it in the future and see if it improves upon actual reading rather than listening.

FAVORITES: The other audiobook, the first one I listened to EVER, Save Me the Plums, was absolutely incredible. Ruth Reichl writes and speaks about food in such a delectable way, that I become instantly hungry and satiated at the same time! Her history as the editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine was fascinating and complex. I highly recommend this book for any foodie out there! My other favorite book of these past three months was Pride and Prejudice, by the one and only, Jane Austen. This was a re-read, as it was an instant favorite back when I read it in high school. It’s slightly terrifying to think, but it’s probably been about 15 years since I last read it {insert shocked face here}! It took me a bit to get back into it, because I kept thinking about the 6 hour BBC special, starring the lovely Colin Firth, but once I got over the comparisons, I loved it as much as my teenage years.

My other three reads were impressive as well: Carnegie Maid was a quick, light read, with a nice balance of history and fiction. Where the Crawdads Sing was an emotional, heartbreaking story with several twists along the way. Out of these last reads, I especially enjoyed Recursion by Blake Crouch — this was the first book I ever read by him, and it was full of surprises and was especially thought provoking. I will definitely be reading more of his work in the future.

These books help to keep me motivated and I am currently borrowing Normal People by Sally Rooney from the library. It was highly recommended on Instagram from several bookstagrammers and it’s interesting so far; definitely a different writing style than I’m used to and I’m curious to see what I think at the end. Will let you know in the next book review post!

Enough about me, though — I am not the only one reading and receiving library books! Our public library has a summer reading program, where if kids read 20 minutes a day {or for my toddlers, if someone reads to them for twenty minutes} you mark it on the calendar and for every six days of reading for twenty minutes, you get a sticker, until you reach 36 days. We completed our summer reading challenge this week and Bird was super stoked to receive all her stickers — and the prize?! A new book from the library! Bird was thrilled to pick out a book from their selection and chose Jamberry, which is cute. Lulu, was less excited; he also loves books, but really didn’t understand the summer reading program {gosh, grow up already}, so Mama picked Barnyard Dance for him! Haha, I love that my kids are ‘readers’; we really do enjoy it as a family and often throughout the day, I see Bird and Lulu walk over to the stack of library books or to our bookshelves and just delve into stories, which makes this bibliophile mama’s heart burst! Oh, and talk about proud mama — Bird also acquired her first library card! This is probably my favorite milestone by far and she was so proud of it, walking around with it for the remainder of the day. It’s currently in our library bag {the one that looks like an old school library card… sigh, nostalgia} so that it doesn’t disappear, but I know she’ll be excited to check out our next books on her personal card next week!

What about you? What are you reading? Do you have a library close to you and do you utilize it? What are your favorite recent books?

A month later…

Posted on by JC Rizk

Well, clearly still working on that balance component, but not apologizing, because that’s life! Today, while listening to the radio — which I do every morning — the DJs were discussing new year resolutions and asking how people were doing with theirs, since it’s about halfway through the year. This year, I didn’t make an actual resolution list, but every year my list is pretty consistent, generally relating to finding a better balance and feeling healthier: cook/eat healthier food, exercise more frequently, practice yoga, practice meditation, read more often, and recently, to be more present with the babes.

When 2019 started, I was practicing yoga in Utah {which was amazing}, meditating regularly, was cooking more regularly/healthier meals, and was definitely focused on Bird and Lulu. I definitely hit some patches since then where I wasn’t as steadfast with meeting these goals, but I am in the process of revamping my intentions for the remainder of the year. Last post, I just started a new morning routine, which helped me feel more focused and calm at the start of the day — critical for me. Last week was more of a struggle since I was on vacation, visiting my family in New England, which was amazing, but I paused on my morning routine. Plus, I ate like I was a teenager — overeating, snacking on potato chips and waaaaay too much chocolate — my body is currently punishing me by producing a major zit; I guess if I am going to act like a teenager, I get to look like one too. Haha — just being real over here!

Picture on the right: Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent

However, the weeks before vacation, I continued the morning routine and also ran a 10k — in memory of my friend who was killed back in January. What an honor it was to run and the medal has her name on it; never have I felt more proud to receive a race medal. It currently hangs front and center on my display. She was a badass, thoughtful, and hilarious mama, neighbor, and friend — always pushing her limits and motivating others to do the same. Before I became pregnant with Lulu, we talked about completing a sprint triathlon {I may have mentioned the sprint option because I’m sure she would have completed a full triathlon without fail}; my goal is to get in shape to complete one in her honor by the end of 2020.

This morning I woke up early and finished a short one mile jog in the neighborhood to get myself back on track. I was greeted with this beautiful sunrise and an almost full moon {was two days ago} peeking out from behind the clouds. I was still lethargic when I arrived back at the house, but I didn’t meditate or practice yoga, which I desperately needed. Tomorrow is a new day and I will do better!

As for my other yearly intentions, I’ve certainly kept up reading, feel better about the focus I have when with the babies, and go through spurts with cooking healthier for the family. I am getting back on track with the latter and am seriously considering starting the Whole 30 again. Hubby and I did it several years ago and absolutely loved it! Tonight, I cooked up a beautiful salmon salad inspired by a Pinterest post: shout out to Cafe Delights‘ blog and marinade!

I really enjoyed that the marinade for the salmon was the dressing as well {you split it in half for the two purposes, you don’t use the marinade as the dressing} because it made my life simpler! Such a quick and easy meal and so healthy. For future posts, you can look forward to my book reviews from May, June, and July next week, then a post about our home organization in the next two weeks! It feels like it’s been forever, but we are so close now!

Stay tuned and let me know: how are you doing on your resolutions and/or intentions for 2019?!

Balancing Act

Posted on by JC Rizk
Flowers arranged by me at a Women’s Summit

Why is balance so difficult? There’s a short amount of time where I feel completely balanced, then one seemingly tiny change comes along and I am knocked for a loop. I know that this is a common occurrence, but I will not be deterred. I continue to strive for a balanced life. For me, that looks like a life where I have time with my family, time with friends, and time for myself. I realized about a month ago that I was spending an exorbitant amount of time with my blog and its associated Instagram account. I noticed that I was hardly posting about my family and time with Bird and Lulu. {I realize I am in discussing imbalance in terms of posts and social media, but this external imbalance was present even more so in my personal life.}

Greeting Buddha at the end of Mama’s cool down

After a shift, from one extreme to the other, I now find myself having not written a post in almost a month — yikes! — nor have I posted much about my self care, including fun and important events! For instance, today was the first day that I went for a run, with the kids, since the kids arrived. I used to run for softball in high school, but really started to run faithfully after college, where I ran a couple of half marathons, some 10ks, and a bunch of 5ks. Let me be clear, I may be an avid runner, but I am by no means an excellent runner. I am slow and my gait needs work, but I enjoy it and I adore how it makes me feel afterwards. I am psyched to get back into the practice of running regularly, because it’s only for myself: my health and my enjoyment.

I am also working on being more ‘in-the-moment’ with the babes. I found myself checking social media, emails, and messages from friends and family when with Lulu and Bird, and it was getting to be too much, for my sake and the kids. I finally started a new morning routine that I’ve been thinking about for months: I wake up at 5:30 a.m. to get things done and get in some ‘mama time’, before the kids get up. I started setting my alarm two weeks ago, but, to be transparent, I only started actually waking up early late last week. My goal is to use this time for the following: shower/eat breakfast, practice yoga, meditate, and to journal, including making a list of what needs to be done that day/week. This helps me to wake up my body and mind, so when the babes wake up, I am mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared! Since starting to wake up early, I find myself in a better place as a mama and person, and am able to focus solely on them, as I prefer when I am with them!

Neighborhood beach visit!

Now that the weather feels like summer here already, we have been utilizing our neighborhood beach; I am thrilled that the kids are now to an age that we can enjoy the water and the sand, without the constant shoveling of sand into the mouth. We also play in the front yard and made more trips to the park. I find that this time outside, with nature, not only helps the kids, but also improves my mindset as well. Plus, I get cute pictures like this!

In addition to making more time for me and more time with the kids, Hubby and I have been able to enjoy some couple time and time with friends as well, which is lovely. We recently went on a vineyard tour with our friends and before that, I went to a Women’s Summit with some of my mama tribe, which was just what the doctor ordered! There were drinks, delicious food, interesting vendors, and terrific sessions. I chose the floral arrangement {see the first picture}, mindfulness, and parenting sessions, and they were all amazing! I learned, I relaxed, I laughed, and I felt like an individual again, not just a mama/wife/friend/etc. It was this Women’s Summit that encouraged me to start this new routine and get back into activities which make me happy and for that, I am super grateful!

What are your upcoming goals? Any new routines you want to try?

Mental Health Awareness

Posted on by JC Rizk

This is a topic that is near and dear to my heart and soul. May is Mental Health Awareness month, which fits me perfectly. My Master’s degree is in School Counseling and mental health is something I am truly passionate about; I believe that everyone should speak with a therapist/counselor at some point {yes, even if nothing is ‘wrong’} to gain a better sense of self. I could speak about it forever, but I will hop down from my soap box to discuss self care. If you want to gather more information about mental health awareness or counseling, please comment below or message me — I would be happy to talk privately to anyone interested!

Something I learned from therapy, and understanding mental health better, is that self care is critical to all of us. I cannot be the best mother, wife, friend, human, if I do not take care of myself. For me, as you know, self care comes under the guise of reading, yoga, writing, meditating, organizing, and cooking, to name a few. Recently, my self care really is seen through my reading; I’ve been enjoying so many new books and actually just listened to my first audio book this past week. I’ll review the book more thoroughly in a later post — book club is tomorrow and I wouldn’t want to give anything away — but the whole audio book experience was astounding! I was able to finish laundry, dishes, food prep… all while enjoying a book! Only took me two days to finish it too, listening during the kids’ nap time and in the evenings. This means that I may be able to continue reading, even during my especially busy weeks! I am floored! Now I want to know about all the amazing audio books out there — which audio books do you recommend?

Even though my reading game is strong lately, I’ve let go of meditating and yoga, which I really want to get back into, along with running. I used to run a lot before kids and I would like to get back into it; I am still searching for a decently priced double jogging stroller — wish me luck with that! Lately, I’ve been doing a little calming, self awareness routine with Bird before bed, because she’s started to have meltdowns when we leave the room. We play some zen music and we practice a breathing meditation {only about a minute long since she’s two years old}. I think she gets so excited about her day that it takes her longer to settle into sleep mode, despite her exhaustion. It’s been working well this past week, and it’s encouraging me to do more with her during the day, and maybe it will help the tantrums and meltdowns that come — also, it will help to calm mama down, which will make quite the difference, I think! My goal this week is to meditate more with Bird throughout the day — Lulu too — and to do some yoga in the morning. The other day in her crib, I put on the zen music, which she associates with yoga, and she did a modified tree pose… on her own! We haven’t practiced yoga together since Utah — I was stunned — and then immediately felt guilty that I stopped practicing with her. To rectify that situation, my plan is to start practicing and I’ll put out an extra mat, where she can practice what she wants. Although I love a long practice, I’ll probably start with just a ten or fifteen minute routine first; very exciting!

Today, I also tended to my self care by finally tending to my garden. Still a minimalist container garden this year — I don’t have the time or energy for a full vegetable garden — I chose my favorite herbs, including: lavender, basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, spearmint, and chives. Heading to the farmer’s market in the morning to see if I can find sweet mint and rosemary. The only veggies we are planting this year are two grape tomato plants — I bought two because last year Bird ate all of our cherry tomatoes and I am positive Lulu will enjoy them just as much — and a jalapeño plant. Sometimes I get overzealous with my gardening and plant a ton of herbs and veggies only to waste them and that makes me sad. I think I planted the perfect amount of herbs to cook with and also to dry for cooking, tea, and infusing water. I am excited for the herb garden, yoga, and getting back into a healthy self care routine.

How are you going to care for yourself this month? This week? Today? Take care and enjoy!

Yoga and Emotions

Posted on by JC Rizk

Namaste//


The divine within me honors the divine in you.

I absolutely love this word. I hear it at the end of every yoga class and I think it is profound and moving. Essentially, namaste means that we are all equal — I see, and honor, the light and divinity within you, with all the light and divinity within me. It truly fills me with happiness and a feeling of acceptance, which, let’s be honest, is what yoga is all about – accepting yourself exactly how you are throughout the practice, and life.

Love this yoga mat by Gaiam!

I think I found my favorite yoga classes at Cradle Your Soul and they couldn’t be more different! After trying out a bunch of classes, I am now going to the Sunday Vinyasa Flow class, which is challenging, nonstop, and helps unite breath with movements. In addition, I tried a new class today and plan to go weekly for the rest of the month, called Living Lighter Yoga, which is all about slow movements, taking your time in the discomfort of certain positions, and allowing your body to breathe through the pain to find a natural release. The idea being that when we are upset, instead of hiding our feelings away, we can sit in them and work through them, allowing our body to release them naturally rather than holding emotions hostage.

This really resonated with me this week especially as my hubby and I work with our daughter on her tantrums and meltdowns. For a while we would try and calm her down, but the more I read and the more we discussed, we realized we want her to understand a healthy range of emotions and to work through it, knowing that we are here to support her and comfort her with hugs and kisses when she is ready. Is it loud? Yes. Is it sometimes frustrating because we are trying to do something fun and she freaks out because she’s overwhelmed, confused, or unsure? Definitely. That being said, letting her take some alone time to cry it out, or scream, really seems to help her work through it quicker than us hovering and telling her that she is okay. Big surprise there, right?

I do not have to imagine my response when I am upset and someone tells me to calm down or that I am okay — completely invalidated and even more upset. Also, when I push my emotions down to make others more comfortable, it always leads to a blowup, which is always much bigger than me just working through my feelings then and there. I found the above children’s book called, In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek, which mirrors this thought — it is super sweet and goes through all the emotions that we can feel in a language that speaks to children. Plus, the art is super cute too!

How about you? Any favorite yoga classes or books or anything that is really speaking to you lately? Let me know!

Light Behind the Dark Days

Posted on by JC Rizk

There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of those lights, the light of all lights.

– Bram Stoker

This quote was on my mind quite often this week. Unfortunately, we had some losses in our lives this week, one a friend and neighbor who was killed on deployment, way too soon in her young life. Although these individuals are physically gone, their spirits live on in our memories and actions. I continue to think about the light they brought into this world, with their kindness, creativity, and their laughter. This light is what helps me cope: I know that by sharing light with others I can truly honor the individuals we lost. I feel inspired by my neighbor and all she did in her life – she was constantly creating, working hard, yet having fun with her family and friends, and always reaching for more. I feel more motivated than ever to accomplish some goals I have held on to for years.

This week, however, is about coping. I took time to meditate, to explore my thoughts and feelings, really taking stock of where I am at this moment in my life. I find that being in Utah, away from home, allows me the benefit of focusing on the simplicity of life and on what I hold most important. Not sure why, but at home, I feel like I am constantly busy, not taking the time to breathe and meditate on the truly important things: family, friends, love, and happiness. Since I do not have all the distractions here that home brings, I am focusing on self care, my husband, and my children, and taking the time to notice the simple things that make me happy. My intention is to bring this self-awareness home with me, help us to simplify life when back on the east coast, and enjoy the moments that make life so beautiful.

This week’s happiness and cathartic activities included making Valentine’s Day cards with the kids; yes, I know it’s a commercialized holiday, but one thing that especially hit home this week is that it is always a good time to share your love for others.

‘Life Journals’

In addition, I made time to update the kids’ scrapbooks. In fact, they are more like ‘life journals’, with pictures, stickers, and many memories {first steps, words, as well as trips taken and people visited}! I am very fortunate; my mom loves to take pictures and I have many albums loaded with pictures from my childhood. I decided to combine my love of writing with my obsession of taking pictures of the babies to create these journals.

I also found it absolutely necessary to go to the two yoga classes I signed up for this week. Yoga really helps me to center myself, as well as allowing me to delve into my thoughts, feelings, and acknowledging how that affects my demeanor and physicality. If you’re ever near Draper, Utah, please check out Cradle Your Soul! It’s a smaller studio, which I love, and has different classes for individuals of all levels. I especially appreciate the more intimate setting; I practiced for about 10 years, but am significantly out of practice. The smaller class sizes allow me to focus on where I am physically and emotionally. I am passionate about yoga because I love that it is all about the individual; it’s not a competition between you and someone else, only you against yourself.

The days have been difficult knowing that these individuals in our lives are gone, but I am committed to focusing on the light. Remembering the amazing qualities of these individuals inspires me to be more true to myself, which is my intention for the foreseeable future. Stay safe and see you next week!

Books & Meditation: Self Care Week

Posted on by JC Rizk

Last night, for the first time in about two years, I went to the bookstore ON…MY…OWN! I took my time looking at book covers, reading excerpts from the stories, and breathing in the book smells. Yes, that is correct; I am that person in the bookstore and I do not apologize! I did not have to run around after a toddler who wants to explore or rush because it was almost time for the baby’s bottle. I love being a mother, but let’s be honest – we all downtime and time to commit to self care.

You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection. – Buddha

These are my picks from last night’s extravaganza and I am super excited to begin! I plan to start with Ruth Ware’s The Lying Game, because I absolutely adored two of her other books: In a Dark, Dark Wood and Woman in Cabin 10. I think I read both for book clubs over the last few years and they were very fast reads – they kept me guessing, and I am hoping The Lying Game does the same.

The genre I read most often would be mystery or suspense novels; I adore becoming a part of the story, as if it is unfolding all around me and disappearing into that world. Mysteries tend to intrigue me and I absolutely treasure when a book ends and leaves me surprised. That being said, you should know I am not the type of person who reads ahead or guesses the ending. As I said, I want to be part of the story as it unfolds, not the one unfolding the story.

Continuing with the theme of self care this week, I took time to start meditating again; I used some trial sessions with the Headspace and Calm apps. Once I finish these free sessions, I will choose which one I like the best. Readers: are there any other meditation apps I should bring into the mix and try out before I make my decision? Leave a comment below and let me know!

This upcoming week I will start a weekly yoga class, as well! I will be so fit mentally, emotionally, and physically – thinking about it makes me feel giddy!

After visiting a book store, starting meditation, and signing up for yoga, I had room for even another source of self care this week: cooking! I tried a new recipe from the first book I read this year, Farm from Home, by Amanda Brooks. I made some changes to her recipe and made the Salmon Stir Fry, which came out really well and will be added to our food repertoire! Check out the recipe for more information about my cooking experience.

This week I hope you all take the time to practice some self care. Please remember to share with me any other meditation apps you may use or any comments in general. I would love to hear from you!

Happy weekend and enjoy your week!