My Life Feels Like the Game of Jenga
Category: yourchicselfVarious loved ones have told me that I should be blogging throughout the journey of bringing this magazine into existence. So, I’ve decided that since we just launched the first digital edition, I would do it; mainly because it is starting to feel like reality rather than a far-fetched dream.
What I thought I’d blog about is the experience of what this endeavor has felt like in the day to day life of being a devoted mom. Right now, I feel like I have built a life similar to the game of Jenga. Do you all know that game? You set up about 50 four-inch pieces of wood into a tall puzzle. Each player takes out a piece from anywhere on the tower and hopes it doesn’t topple. Those little wooden sticks represent the life I’ve created this past year. Taking on learning a whole new approach to magazine publishing (the internet), I’d say at least one half of the stack is devoted to all of the various things I’ve been forced to learn, implement and manage this year. Tack on the fact that I’ve been hyper-vigilant as a wife and mom and you have the other half. The reason for my hyper-vigilance, as most moms are all too familiar with, is worry. And I, being the worrier that I am (anyone ever read Wemberly Worried to their kids? Wimberley would be me.), have worried since day one about how this life I’ve chosen would affect my children.
Every day, several pieces of the Jenga puzzle get pulled out – some from the bottom, where it really matters. If the foundation falls, the whole thing falls. And sometimes from the top – just annoying little things that happen because – life happens. But somehow, the tower is still standing, and is actually pretty whole, overall. As hard as it is to follow our dreams – some of the realities of dreams aren’t so glamorous, and in fact, really suck – the wholeness I feel on the deepest of levels is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. Nothing has ever felt truer for me than what I am doing now. The beauty of it is that even though there will be moments when the tower will fall and I have to rebuild and somehow keep it all together, I am growing right alongside my children. We are together on this journey. It makes me feel so connected to them because they are my muse, and that Jenga tower forces me to look in an instance at what my priorities are. There’s really no time for questioning. I have to trust my intuition or it may collapse. So if it’s between answering the phone while I’m supposed to be watching a show cuddled with my kids, I’m going to ignore the phone.
I think tomorrow I’m going to play a game of Jenga with my kids.
Put on a smile each morning.
Category: yourchicfamily, yourchicselfThe most important thing you can put on each morning is a smile. One way to remember to do this is to avoid jumping out of bed directly into a stressful day.
NOURISH YOUR SPIRIT…
Take a minute to breathe. Breathing is a great stress reducer. In fact, make time to breathe throughout the day. Close your eyes. Take air in through your nose. Feel your chest rise. As you exhale slowly through your mouth, say something to yourself that will help keep you grounded.
Try: I am who I am. I do what I can. I am thankful for the good things I have and the bad things I don’t.
…MIND…
Another must each day is a few minutes of YOU time. It’s not a selfish indulgence. Time for yourself rejuvenates and makes you feel happier. The happier you are the happier others are around you will be.
…AND BODY.
Get up 15 minutes earlier to stretch, breathe and have a cup of tea. Take a few extra minutes in the tub. Transform your bath into a spa with essential oils. Lavender is great for relaxation, citrus refreshes and uplifts the spirit. You’ll feel good and smell good too.
Too much to do? Don’t think you can afford the time? Think about this: The woman with clenched fists can’t get any work done.
Letter From the Editor
Category: yourchicfamilyListen to this podcast:
So what is a Chic Mom? There’s nothing so chic about being a mom, that’s for sure. We are down and dirty. As much as we may strive to maintain our style, we still get thrown up on, lose our patience, are in a constant rush, and have loads upon loads of laundry to do – or whatever else is pressing at the moment. Being on time and reliable – oh, and in a good mood – become a number one goal once a woman becomes a mom. Isn’t that the truth?
But what we have learned and become quite outspoken about in recent years is that once we become mothers, we are not and do not want to become invisible as women. There is a chronic tendency to both sacrifice and question ourselves that is inherent in being a mom. Priorities change, as they should. However, remaining personally chic and honoring our own voices and desires is a goal towards which each one of us should strive.
When I talk about ‘Chic’, I am not referring to expensive labels or swanky cars – or even black for that matter. What I am referring to is a state of mind. It is remembering what made our souls sing as girls and women, and not letting our personal passions go. It is the deliberate act of making time for our own tastes, pleasures, and spirits so they do not get lost in the shuffle of the many demands that mothering requires.
Being a mom has become very hip in Hollywood, and resources for us to look and feel smashing abound. But there’s so much more to it than that! We’re the whole package. Join us in this premiere on line edition of Chic Mom as we passionately celebrate mothers and support them in their quest for personal truth and authenticity. Whether it’s feeling validated by Dr. Edward’s words of wisdom ( p.6), choosing to wear red shoes as Essential Style suggests (p.20), or feeling mighty cute (or not) in our minivans (p. 15) , take a chance at discovering what’s chic for you, remembering your unique and graceful spirit – even when (especially when) you are feeling none of the above.
Warmly,
Darcy Plunkett
Founder and Editor
Chic Mom Magazine
Click here to view Digital Edition
