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Hilarious.

Affectionate.

STRONG WILLED.

You’re One of a Kind, Oliver!

You are Amazing!

Year Five is such an awesome year! You are learning, growing and helping Mom and Dad learn and grow with you. I hope that your birthday is so awesome that it impacts your entire year.

Happy Birthday, Oliver!

Food Relapse is REAL, people!

You could have successfully watched every fat, carb and protein calorie that entered your mouth for TEN months and fall prey to the dessert table on Thanksgiving Day! How does it happen? Frankly, holiday stress and an abundance of food! I know family time is generally good times but it can be stressful so don’t come @ me. But, with a little few effective techniques, we can bypass that setback and enjoy our holidays without guilt!

Okay, before you totally flip out, know that this post isn’t about avoiding the peach cobbler and pecan pie on the Thanksgiving menu. It’s about enjoying the holiday experience without relying on food to get through it. This took me years to learn and my execution still isn’t perfect. However, it has helped me conquer my compulsion to eat my holiday emotions. Here are a few simple tips and techniques that have worked for me and mine.

Ways to Enjoy Holiday Food without Guilt

• Planning and Preparing: A big part of holiday relapse is showing up to the feast with no idea how to navigate the eating portion effectively. Every time I attempted to show up and wing it, I overate and felt like garbage afterward. For me, planning includes having a general sense of the menu. Don’t be afraid to ask, “Is there anything I can bring that can round out the menu?” They will usually offer up the menu in the discussion, giving you the information you need to prepare for the day. Then, you can determine if the menu provides you with opportunities to eat in moderation.
• Balance the Plate: I know how easy it is to eat your colors on the Thanksgiving plate – yellow mac & cheese, green bean casserole, brown cornbread dressing – we love to eat the carbs! This Thanksgiving, find ways to tilt the plate towards health by adding proteins and lean greens, if possible. Don’t scrimp on the dessert table but choose SLIVERS of cake instead of slices. Remember, there is always the “take-home” plate.
• Avoid Eating your Emotions: As much as we love seeing family during the holidays, it can be quite stressful for some. And, that’s okay. Acknowledge it and ensure that your support system is ready to encourage and assist you during this time. Understand that eating five pounds of Thanksgiving dinner will not eradicate your anxiety but leaning into your support squad can

Thanksgiving will be here before we know it. Don’t dread it. Anticipate the good times to be had by all and know that food is just the icing on the proverbial cake. Eat and enjoy!

It’s holiday break time! Most of us have been looking forward to rest, relaxation and good food! We want to make this week as amazing as possible. So, I will be dropping little tidbits of encouragement and support in hopes that it will enhance your holiday experience!

Giving our Kids Grace and Space

Remember to give your kids grace this week as they process a completely different schedule, new transitions, new people and places. Holiday breaks can be a huge challenge for kids, especially those who need consistent routines.

Physical autonomy is most important during these times. Help them create and maintain healthy boundaries with others. This is a great training ground to foster healthy affection with family and friends.

What will be your focus this week? Giving your kids more grace or more space?

Thought:

• 

Tip:

What’s that Sound? Helping your kids learn the value of silence

Ever heard of the ‘Silence Game’? The goal of this activity is to help kids create healthy intentional listening abilities. This can be used by educators and parents alike. Here is an except from a wonderful article by Maren Schmidt, a renown Montesorri educator.

“To play, gather up ten or so items that you can manipulate to create a noise, for example, clicking a pen, moving the teeth of a comb, crumbling a piece of paper, tapping a fork on a table, flicking a fingernail against a glass, opening and closing a clothespin, etc. Invite your children to turn their backs to you. Tell them you’re going to make a noise and they should guess what it is. Make sure the room is quiet as possible, with television and radio turned off. Make three or four sounds and have the children guess. “

Thanks:

We all need that friend who we can be accountable to, be challenged by and grow with. I am blessed with several of such friends. Today, I am grateful for my friend, my confidant, Sarah Thibodeaux. I am guaranteed to be stretched and provoked to deeper thought with her. I love you, Sarah. You’re the best!

Thought: Kind Wishes

Tip: The Gratitude Jar

A gratitude jar is a great way to practice mindful gratitude.  Start the morning with Post-It notes and jot down one thing something you are thankful for.  Place the note in the Gratitude Jar of your choosing.  Next step mindfulness: at the end of the week, reflect with gratitude over some of the notes. 

Thanks:

I am grateful for time. Time to love freely. Time to sit and reflect. Time to connect and reconnect. Time to bask in the goodness of my life. What are you grateful for?

You are an astronaut. An engineer. A retired fighter pilot. A Navy captain. You are Scott Kelly and you have ADHD. What was considered challenges for many became assets for him. So, what do you do with the knowledge and skills that you’ve gained over the years? You pass it on to someone else.

October is ADHD Awareness Month but ADHD doesn’t take a break: it is a full-time issue. So, let’s help our little and big people see their worth, as they are RIGHT NOW. Be their advocate, champion them as they seek and find the skills that help them succeed. One of the most powerful things we can do for those we love is to remind them that ADHD is only one aspect of them; it doesn’t define them. Respect their superpower. And, above all, be KIND.

Learn more about ADHD: Understood.org