Posts tagged “self-care

Don’t buy the hate makeover

Posted on November 21, 2019

“You, you there. I have something just for you,” a slender man called to me as he skipped across the tradeshow floor and slipped two silver packets in my hand. I laughed as he ushered me into his booth. “What’s your name?” he asked, smiling. I said my name, and he repeated, “Amanda, that’s so lovely.” I thought I’d listen to him and then excuse myself. “Here, sit. Sit,” he was gesturing to a chair. I sat down, and he immediately scooted his stool, which was slightly higher than my chair, forward. His legs were too close, tucked between my feet. I leaned back in my chair. “Amanda, I tell you what I’m a gonna do,” he spoke fast and softly, his accent a…

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Writing For Good and For Myself

Posted on May 23, 2018

On Writing My writing, like many others things, gets wedged between parenting, working, and trying not to neglect my marriage. It takes a backseat to fretting, battling pet hair, and unsubscribing from email lists. Writing is and has always been, the activity that takes me to my best place. I wish I could understand why it is so routine to postpone what I know I need. When I write I become more than I am, stretching how I think and how I love, leaving me with what I can only describe as increased power. It can be like hand-to-hand combat as my fingers move across the keyboard and my mind halts them. I’ve gotten better at fighting my weaker self, overcoming doubt and climbing…

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Tiny Reminders for Big Change

Posted on November 8, 2017

Do you ever catch yourself saying, “As soon as things slow down…” They never slow down. We never have the money sitting in the account. The right time rarely arrives in a moment when we can actually embrace it. I find myself doing little things to try and dull the sensation that I am tempting fate. I try not to race from place to place, I tell myself not to measure my success (or failure) by how much is left undone at the end of the day. I doubt most of us would put the same expectations on other people that we do on ourselves. It’s also unlikely that we’d afford the same kindness or consideration to ourselves that we give to others. I…

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A List of Things I Love

Posted on January 23, 2017

In an attempt to approximate the sensation of climbing into a bed with fresh sheets, biting into a sandwich someone else made for you, opening the dishwasher to see that someone already unloaded it, or the rush of endorphins on a morning walk, I am going to share a few things that bring me joy. A little bit of kitchen stuff, a little bit of health stuff, and a couple of other things.   Bees Knees Salted Honey – I bought it at a store nearby that I love called Healthy Living. It isn’t super salty, but every time I squeeze it onto a piece of toast or drizzle it over chicken I feel like I am using liquid gold. Chipotle Fabanaise – This is another Healthy…

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