Mid August.
Time to squeeze out the last bit o' summer. And then soak it up. Quick. Back to School's just around the corner. So forget those dishes and get out there in that sunshine! (Join my FB Group here to access many of the Summer Magic 2016 tools to get the most out of your August!) Hope your summer has been full of lots of family magic. Fun in the sun. Fresh fruits & veggies. Swimming. And long days of lovin the light. Now's a good time to take inventory. Good ol' summer inventory. How many days of summer vacation are left? What are 1-3 things you still want to do, or want to do again? Simple things that are most important to you. Picnic on the lawn. Trip to the swimming pool. Star gazing. Concert in the park. Make your list. Then make it happen. Get it on the calendar. Invite some friends. And soak up that Summer Magic 2016 while it's still with us.
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Summer is my fav.
Always has been, every since I was a kid. It's all about living outdoors, as much as possible. Being one with the earth, and soaking up that sunshine. I do soak up summer, like I'm saving it for a gray January Oregon day. Summer is medicine for my soul. I love spending it with family & friends. I've had some serious summer magic this year. With a couple weeks at the OR coast with family visiting from all. A dance retreat weekend at my friend's farm. So much Portland summer fun with the kids. And this summer has been intense with two (!) moves, deadlines for my program for parents who are child abuse survivors, and significant stress. Life is always about ride the waves, the ups and downs of our existence. But this summer I've become a master surfer. Surfing through life adventures this summer. And through it all, the stress has taught me, how to find the calm within. The peace on the wave. Acceptance Enjoying the moment. Getting back up from a big fall, ready to go at life again. And the wisdom to know when to stop, to let go, take a break, and come at life from a different angle. Eternal summer in my soul. she told me she's taking the rest of summer off from facebook to enjoy summer with her kids hhhmmmmm..... that got me thinking not only how much time i'v spent scrolling but how much i'm not enjoying scrolling lately i'm only doing it when i'm so tired and have no energy for anything else instead of resting or sleeping i'm scrolling so when she said she got off fb (and was able to keep messenger) i got really excited already feeling liberated that my friends was my 1st cue..... the great thing about social media is it connects us with humanity babies growing up and being born weddings anniversaries deaths and sufferings too we are one people social media has the power to connect us all but we control it as soon as it feels like our phones are controlling us the tables have turned and i wonder is it a good thing? is there balance? where's the moderation? and what are we modeling for our children? for me it's a nagging feeling like my phone is always calling me to look just a minute just one more post just just just one of the moms in the power to the parents group i run to kick off the new year in parenting said a child described his mom on the phone like she was frozen frozen on a phone ugh is that part of parenting today? my son made me a little note with me on my phone and a line through it with a big NO! sigh for me facebook starts off as the parenting work i love but it's hard to stop there whether i'm responding to a parent or stuck scrolling saying "one more minute" to my son it gets old for both of us in my coaching work around media i work most often with moms and developing a media plan for them (not their kids) let's face it social media is some strong medicine that can turn addicting quick especially under the demands + isolation of modern motherhood and this august i have some serious deadlines to meet as i'm developing my programming for parents who are child abuse survivors some of the most important work i have to offer the next generation and work that makes me anxious and that i often want to avoid and scrolling is one way i can guarantee i'll get nothing done on the getting to gold project so this month august 2016 i've declared media free for me so i can enjoy the rest of summer with my son to give him - not my phone- my focus to feel free from a little device for 30 days and into the present moment of life around me and meet some big deadlines in my work to transform the intergenerational cycle of child abuse would you like to join me?
to enjoy the rest of summer with your fam to have one month of no "one more minute" to live in the moment of here and now and the world around you -not the world within your phone to connect with the humanity within you just for one month to take a media break to be media free it will be fun + liberating join me! (or modify it for your life of 1 week 1 day or even 1 hour of media free) if you're a part of the parenting for the next generation facebook community i'll be back september 5th just after labor day with renewed inspiration + ideas to support you in unlocking your inner wisdom + power as a parent so you can begin fall 2016 with empowerment + fun see you then + enjoy the rest of summer! with love, megan p.s. i'll be posting weekly blog posts so please visit me here this month! Here's the deal... It was good. We got some summer magic on. Mama-style. Enjoying the little moments that make up our days with our little ones. Even with everything else going on in a day. Even when life is stressful. We got serious on havin' FUN this summer, while being good to ourselves. It was just a week, but Summer Magic 2016 changed me, for the waaaaay better and I hope it did for you too. My goal with Summer Magic 2016 was to help you get your inner glow on. The foundation of you, you shining like the sun, is your belief in you. This is your #1 for everything in life. You can do it! But you must believe it too. One of the best ways we can come into the moment. Of n-o-w. Today. This moment in time with our children it to let go (even a little bit) of what's holding us back, keeping us down, or stressing us out. In Summer Magic 2016, we talked about letting it go to get more inner glow. When things get hot, stressful, or plain old hard in parenting, and in life --- the key to getting through and thriving through the storm--- is keeping it cool. these lessons i learned from my friends who call the tropics home. people who are masters at keeping it cool when temps rise, and there's no air conditioning. Here's those top lessons, as they apply to parenting. And our last Summer Magic may have been the most important of all. When you're feeling down and out, when life is too much to bear, when things feel impossible, try a little gratitude. Gratitude isn't just about being nice + polite. It is a power, and your bridge to happiness. Your best summer magic pick-me-up! Summer Magic 2016 is a wrap! Continue the FUN + MAGIC. This summer, transform your challenges into your GIFTS. The Summer Magic Mastermind begins Monday, July 11th. Join us for the early bird reg rate, which ends on Friday, July 8th. a 6 week online positive parenting program to: Live your POWER this summer. And we'll see you next year for Summer Magic 2017! This summer is dedicated to doing it. Whatever "it" is. Maybe its your family vacation that's right around the corner. Or that project. Having your kids home. Or getting outside more. Maybe it's a big challenge. Or you just want to clean out your garage. Whatever it is, the first step to doing anything, is believing in YOU. Believing that you can do it. That it's possible. Whatever "it" is. You can do it.
For real. But you have to do more than take my word for it. You have to believe it too. As I shared in Summer Magic, I'm not saying that all your problems will disappear just by believing in yourself (or maybe they will!). It's that: if you don't believe in yourself, very little else is possible in life. You believing in you is your foundation, for everything and upon which everything else in your life is built. Believing in your children is one of the most effective positive parenting tools. And believing in yourself is even more effective. Because in order to really believe in your children, you must believe in yourself first. Right? So how to cultivate this belief in you? Say it til you believe it. Walk around your house, saying in your head: "I can do it." "I believe in myself." Especially if you have insurmountable obstacles in your world this summer. Especially if you feel hopeless, totally overwhelmed, or depleted. 10 times a day. morning, noon & night. "I can do it." "I believe in myself." And say it again, when those little gremlins of self-doubt start speaking up. Yes, it will feel cheesy at first. But say it still. "I can do it." "I believe in myself." Say it like you mean it. And like you believe it. Then say it some more. Your belief in you is your most effective way to do "it" this summer of 2016. Whatever it may be, have fun with the power of believing in you, this summer + beyond. You can do it, Megan The day before Summer Magic 2016 began, unexpected house guests arrived. A mom with two babies under 2. The busiest week of my summer, and a full house of a whole 'nother family in our home. My life goes like that. Maybe yours does too? When it seems like I can't do anymore, then I'm called to do even more. For that is how we grow. But honestly,
it's selfish of me to make that experience about me. Because I did grow and learn last week more than I have in a long time. But it's not about me. It's about how much I hate poverty. And oppression. I can't stand that some people have their basic needs met. And other people don't. It's not right. It's wrong. Every single child has a human right to food, water, and shelter. Period. Every mom has a right to parent with her basic needs met. How do we live in a world where that isn't the case? It's absolutely beyond me. And yet it's reality. This week, I learned about what it means to help. And hat isn't helpful at all. Sadly, how the lines blur when people's imperfections get involved. I learned about how I long to do more. To be able to give more. And help more. For everyone deserves the basics. No doubt. The growth sometimes hurt this week. But that's part of how we grow too. This week, I'm wishing you: Growth from the inside out. So you can reach your highest potential. To do more of what it is that you're here to. p.s. Growing pains are part of the journey. Have a wonderful week, Megan We make suns every summer, right around the Summer Solstice. I love the sun, so this is an activity I enjoy as much as (and sometimes more than) the children. This is a super easy, fun, and magical craft to celebrate the summer sun, simply. Painting suns started one year when I realized we could paint the wrappers in between these tortillas, and we had ready-made suns. You can also use coffee filters. This year, we used white paper and traced circles. I'll share the extended version of that activity below. If it's helpful to follow my directions step-by-step, wonderful. But often the best art magic happens with the spontaneous material and creative ideas from your own home. And if you aren't a crafter, have no fear--- this is very straight-forward. Have fun making simple summer suns. And with all crafting with children, it is usually best to go over any instructions (like paint stays on the paper) before you begin and many times during the activity. Also, it's summer so craft outside as much as you can, if that makes clean-up easier. As a final reminder: let go of the outcome. The best art is about the process, not the product. How to Make Simple Summer Suns 1) Gather white paper, pencil, and scissors. (Optional addition: Talk about the sun: what you love about it or what you're thankful for about the sun. If age appropriate, ask what shape the sun is. Optional addition: Go on a hunt around the house or yard for all the circles you can spot. Locate a bowl or other round object you can trace for the sun.) 2) Work with your child to trace and cut out your suns--- or cut them out ahead of time, if that's easier. At this point, you could pause and return to the activity at a different point in time, or even another day. I personally like to extend our art projects out over time- total personal preference. 3) Paint your suns! If you only want your child to use sun colors, only place those colors out as an option. Water colors are the least messy paints to use, and my favorite for the white paper. (If you're using the tortilla wrappers or the coffee filters, try tempera. ) Listen for your child's creative observations about the way the colors combine or what they remind her/him of. Let your suns dry in the sun. Sweet huh? Optional: This year we took our suns, and strung them in a sun mobile along with our suns from last year (group photo above is last year's sun making).
Have fun making simple, summer suns- and in your family's creativity, inspiration, and simple summer magic. Growing up, I always wanted a block party
on our street. Because the grown-ups seemed as happy as the kids. I loved that! Happy parents shouldn't be a rare thing. Get your happy parent on this summer with Summer Magic 2016. We begin this Monday! Daily tools, activities + awesome community so you glow like the sun this summer. To get the Summer Magic emails, sign up here. (You will not automatically get the emails if you're just on this list). And be sure you're in the Parenting for the Next Generation FB Group. Here's to less stress + more fun. Our Block Party begins Monday! Have a wonderful weekend, ~Megan p.s. Please invite your friends and family so this is a super fun, diverse event! How? 1) You can forward them this email. 2) Or send them this link: http://www.meganbarella.com/summer-magic-2016.html 3) Or add them to the FB Group. Here's to Summer Magic 2016!! Summer has always been my favorite time of year. Ever since I was a kid. I love being warm and outside all the time. Hot days Warm mornings + nights are my thing. As well as summer crafts, salads and get-togethers. Freedom rings for me in the summer. Summer is my magic time. While I love sharing the magic of summer with family and friends, and my positive parenting community ---summer definitely poses its unique challenges (and gifts) as a parent. Whether you're psyched for summer, dreading it, or you're somewhere in the middle....
Let's make this summer
the best one you've had since you were a kid. Summer Magic 2016 We begin Monday, June 27th. Stress less. Stay sane. Have more fun. Create memories to last a lifetime. Access your vacation state of mind every day from your own home. See you there! Summer Magic 2016 |
Mama Megan
Hi friends, I write from the heart to tell my life story, and the story of those in my neighborhood called life. Research shows that our children's emotional & mental health is contingent upon us parents being able to tell our life story, or "coherent narrative." This is my coherent narrative, my life story in the making, with some of what I love in life too. My goal is to share my life in a way that is real, uplifting & positive- sometimes serious, sometimes fun. In my practice, I inspire parents to empowerment through reclaiming our life stories and learning respectful discipline. My work is my offering to our children- our future. Wishing you all a happy family! Archives
May 2021
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