Pardon The Interruption

Starting today Jessica and I will begin slowly getting back into routine. Last night I was so sad to see the last minute of my Christmas holiday creeping up but today I am excited and ready to really get this new year off on the right foot. We took a little more of an extended break from blogging than we originally intended but breaks are a good thing. Relaxing over the last two weeks while trying numerous hot chocolate recipes, reading three books, having so many movie nights that I lost count, and just generally being lazy while trying to stick as close to home as possible was exactly what I needed. I cannot wait to get caught up with my favorite blogs and we have some great posts coming up in the next few weeks. We hope you are ready to have a great year too.

image via: Camille Styles

Chit Chat: Recharging

Last week was totally blissful. I spent an entire nine days recharging. I had carefully avoided having anything on my calendar except a couple family get-togethers for the holidays and had worked extra hard in the days leading up to my break to ensure that I would have nothing pressing that would require my attention.

Before leaving my office on December 19th for my Christmas vacation I was overtaxed, exhausted, and unmotivated. Essentially I was burned out. I was plugging along, pushing through, and doing what I needed to but that was it. I had been too tired and drained, mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, to really enjoy anything.

I believe we thrive when we have time to rest and renew. Our bodies, minds, and hearts need quiet time to relax, become calm, and find peace. The busy, multi-tasking, always on the go lifestyles most of us live negatively affect our mind, body, and spirit. When any one part of my life takes a hit everything seems to fall out of balance.

While we may be celebrated for pushing through and hanging in there I have learned that spreading myself thin never works out in the long run. Being overextended and overwhelmed led to me in the last few months struggling to get anything accomplished in a way and to a standard that truly satisfied me.

By the time my Christmas vacation was approaching I knew I needed a break and not a break where I am trying to tackle other projects, knock numerous items off a to-do list, or running all over the state (or country). So I settled in at home, I slept in, I breezed through several books (including this one and its sequel), I caught up on all the shows on my DVR, I cooked good food, I devoted hours to playing board games, and I spent time with family. I even took a couple naps. When I curled up in bed for my first nap my last thought before falling asleep was how indulgent being in bed at 2 p.m. and not feeling guilty about it felt.

Now that I am preparing to jump back into work and get back into my normal routine I feel better and more rested than I have in a long time. While I have yet to find the key to balance I know the importance of giving myself time to recharge.

I would love to know any tips you have on how you find balance in your life and how you allow yourself to refocus and renew.

via: original source unknown obtained from here

Hitting The Pause Button

The last couple weeks have hit me pretty hard. I am juggling way too much at work. Yesterday when things kept getting tossed on my plate I almost snapped and gave notice that I was leaving. After taking a few minutes I came to my senses and started powering through more items on my to do list. To top off everything else I have going on my laptop has decided to crash. That being said today I just cannot muster up the inspiration or the time to create a post for one of the ideas I have jotted down. So instead of creating a halfhearted post I am hitting pause today. Maybe taking a mini break will help me stay sane. Have a good Thursday everyone.

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Taking Off

We actually left for our beach vacation on Friday after work. We wanted to spend this week relaxing on the beach and enjoying the sounds of the ocean, so we are taking a break from the blog. See you all next Monday!


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Back Tomorrow

We were awoken very early yesterday morning by a phone call alerting us to a family emergency. Today we are very tired. Tomorrow we will try to be back on schedule.

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