Nurture Project

Nurture Project (LOVE THIS)

I have found that with working with various clients (especially mothers) that we have bought into this notion in our society that we cannot take time for ourselves or that somehow we are to do this solely on our own.

Nurturing You: Clipboard Project
As a busy mama – I’m sure the notion of “me time” either make you roll your eyes, burst into laughter…or tears?!! We mamas put our own needs on hold to meet the needs of everyone around us…and that can leave us burned out, frustrated and cranky!

I went to a parenting talk a year ago and what I came away with from it was this – if our ‘cup’ is empty (ie we are not filling ourselves up with the things we need to be happy), then we have nothing to spill out and give to those around us. We need to keep filling our own cup to be able to pour out into everyone else’s.

Since adding a third child to the mix, my cup has definitely been empty (more like a stone dry well actually!) and I keep going back to what I heard in the course…that I need to fill my cup. I need to carve out time for feeding my soul. This doesn’t need to be a huge amount of time on a weekly basis (that would be nice, but lets be realistic!), it could be a 10 minute meditation each day, it could be a long hot bubble bath once a week, it could be a monthly afternoon out with a friend. I love to be creative, and my natural high comes from making something out of nothing with my own two hands (and perhaps the help of a sewing machine!), so for me – I want to make time to pursue my creative fantasies (fixing holes in children’s pants does.not.count) – to do what I love for the sake of just doing it because I LOVE IT! Whether you love sewing, gardening, cooking, shopping…you know what feed your soul and I’m telling you – you need to make time for it!

To follow through with my wild notions of nurturing myself I need an actual plan to do this. I must choose and work to carve out the time – otherwise sneaky old regular life gets in the way of cup filling efforts. Luckily, my husband is on board with this plan (perhaps in the hopes I’ll become less cranky) – if you have small children at home all day every day then you need to enlist the support of someone to give you some alone time. Or, during school or nap times, wedge some cup-filling in there for you instead of cramming work/cleaning/cooking/washing into every free minute. Shiny happy mama = shiny happy family (you know it’s true)!

Most days I’m not even sure what day it is, so I’ve made a pretty little reminder clipboard for my nurturing plans. It’s propped up against my mirror where I’ll see it every day, and I can make a date/plans with myself on a slip of paper and keep it on the board for that week. Each week I will find the time to do one nice thing with myself – and once done I can switch the paper out with my following weeks plan. You can make one too! Yeah! Lets make 2011 the year where our cups are full, our families enjoy the splashings and we truly love and care for ourselves…wishing you all good things for this new year!
Emily

Nurture time reminder clipboard

Supplies:
Mini clipboard (office supply stores carry these)
Acrylic paint & foam brush
Paper (think scrapbook, gift-wrap, hand-made, magazine pages)
Mod podge/gel medium (or any white glue)
Ribbon or lace
Stickers, tags, fun things to embellish with.

Steps:

Cover all or part of the clipboard with your papers. You can make a collage of papers, or use one special piece. Paint the glue onto the clipboard to stick the paper down on, and then coat the paper in another layer of your glue.

Once the paper is dry, paint the remaining portion of the clipboard with 2-3 layers of acrylic paint (I simply lifted the metal clip to paint underneath it).

Add a strip of ribbon or lace using the glue.

Choose a word such as ‘nurture’, ‘nourish’, ‘breathe’, ‘my time’ to serve as a reminder to yourself!

Decorate the clipboard with any stickers or other fun things to make it your happy place.

*on the back of the clipboard I glued a library pocket to hold ‘ideas’ – then each week I can choose an idea from the pocket, and add to it as I feel inspired.


Some simple and (mostly!) inexpensive nurturing ideas:
Have a bubble bath

Read a magazine in bed

Take a solo trip to the library

Play with some watercolour paints

Visit a garden

Treat yourself to a nutritious meal at a favorite cafe

Download a meditation online, lay down and relaxxxx

Lay outside on a blanket and watch the clouds

Attend a class that you’ve always been meaning to try

Write a list of things you are grateful for

Receive a massage

Doodle with crayons

Sit in a park and people watch

Visit a museum or art gallery

Go for an indoor swim

Read a chapter of a book

Plan a girls night with some friends – organize and send invites

Have a home facial

Go for a walk and take photos of things you see

Take a self portrait

Create a visual soul collage from magazine pictures

Organize your wardrobe

Burn oils and listen to music

Write a card/letter to a friend

Plant something in your garden or in a pot

Phone your best friend for a chat

Write some goals in your journal

Try a new recipe

Set your timer for half an hour of crafty time

Give yourself a hand massage & manicure

Take yourself out for coffee/hot chocolate

Make a cd of your favorite music for listening to in the car