Take a moment and think of all the things you juggle. Or what about the dozens of errands you run with “this” type of craziness in the backseat…

If you had to list all the many hats you wear, what would your list say? Mine sounds something like, wife, mom, dinner idea comer-upper and cooker :), daughter, big sister to two little brothers, friend, photographer, writer, speaker, producer, and on and on and on. Sometimes I find myself giving out more than I have to give.

I love giving.

Giving is not something I drag my feet over. But I find that when I only give out, when I only exhale, I sometimes forget to breathe in.

Is anyone forgetting to breathe in lately?

Our little family continues to grow, and the business continues to explode. It can all be a bit much sometimes. As I was working on the upcoming 101 Kit, The Mom’s Survival Guide, I remembered my business coach challenging me to carve out daily rituals within my daily and weekly schedules. Daily rituals of breathing in helps us stay filled up and in touch with our own needs so we can keep growing.

These little rituals can be simple. And yet, they are so vital so I can breathe in, especially during this holiday season.

Here are some I’m trying:

-running away to a cafe for 1 hour to spend time writing

-swimming laps (water always speaks so much healing to me, anyone else feel this way?)

-walking to the Yoga studio for a class, instead of driving–even if it’s raining. Here is Pascaline demonstrating her latest Yoga move for all of you. 🙂

-reading for 30 minutes before bed

(one of my favorite books these days)

-making my own carrot juice for breakfast and lunch (this is one of my favorite daily rituals when we’re not traveling!)

-lighting a candle on my desk as I begin working (last night Brian and I lit a bunch of candles on the table for dinner and turned out all the other lights except the Christmas tree. it was dreamy to have dinner with the kids by candlelight. I felt my soul breathing in as the conversation spun a web of total surprise.)

What are ways you’re breathing in? I’d love to here, as I’m sure many others would.

I know that life can often feel blurry. The moments are so sweet, but they fly away so fast. The kids grow taller when I’m not looking, and the days seem to sprint by instead of walk. I feel tempted to shut down and cry because I want every thing to stop—for just a few moments. Creating daily and weekly rituals has been my way of stopping, slowing down and remembering to breathe.

See if you can find some way to step away today and breathe deep. You give so much that you need to give to yourself.

We’re depending on you to give to yourself for selfish reasons. There is only one you, and you running on empty means the world sees less of your magic. Not an option dear friend. Not an option.

Much Love, Me Ra

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Fun and Quick Announcements!

1. Thank you so much to the many people who posted reviews on our new website this week! Brian and I are totally blessed by your words!

2. The San Francisco Wine Country Workshop is going to open for registration this week! Wait till you see what we’ve got planned! We’re aiming to open registration Wednesday or Thursday!

3. There are only a few spots left in the Seattle/Tacoma Photography Workshop on January 12 &13th! When you register, you can now put in the coupon code: deposit. It will only invoice you for $650, and we’ll settle the rest after the New Year.

4. The San Diego Workshop is half full and it’s not till May 08! We have women flying in from as far as Florida! Be sure to put it on your Christmas list and feel free to use the same coupon code: deposit!

5. Tips on capturing photos of your Christmas Tree and Family by understanding White Balance better…Coming this week!