New Series: Crystal of the Month

 This is going to be a new series.  The idea spawned from my list of what's in my bag, which included a protective stone, and some quartz.

I collect crystals, I have books, and I've done a lot of reading and research into the properties of stones.  

My work kids originally called them "my rocks" and then it developed into asking me daily what rocks I had, and wanting to know what that particular rock did or why I was carrying that one.  Eventually, a few of my work kids would ask me to bring them a rock to help them with whatever they had going on in their own life and they would carry the rocks around for the day.  Some of them have begun collecting them, as a result of feeling like they really did help them.  You can think it's hogwash if you like, I'm not offended by others' lack of belief or trust, but I believe and I've seen them help me personally and others I love.  

I make moon water twice a month, and aside from drinking it, I also use it to cleanse and energize my crystals.  I have selenite to charge them as well.  I believe they need to be cleansed because they absorb energy, and that energy needs to be released in order for them to continue to be effective.  

Different things work for different issues.  This is obviously just ONE path I use.  I recently was diagnosed with an ulcer.  I obviously saw a doctor, but I also believe that one of the stones I'm wearing around my neck has helped me feel better so quickly.  I'm taking my medicine, I'm eating differently, I'm abstaining from alcohol, but I'm also wearing bloodstone and moonstone.  At the very least, what could it hurt right?  

So starting tomorrow, I'm going to be doing a monthly series where there will be a blog post about a stone that I choose (or if you want to participate, comment, and I'll do a stone of YOUR choosing.)  Listing the stone's properties, and uses.  

I hope you'll enjoy these posts, I love talking about crystals and looking at crystals and reading about crystals so it's a passionate hobby of mine.  

What's in my bag?

 Last May, I saw a random facebook ad for a Kate Spade Tote and I fell in love.  It made no logical sense.  I don't even carry a purse.  It cost over $100.  I didn't need it.  But I loved it.  I kept thinking about it.  I made a facebook post listing all the reasons I should NOT buy the bag.  People in my life wanted to see pictures, and they oooh'd and aahhhh'd and encouraged me to TREAT MYSELF.  

And I did.  And I love it.  And I carry it more than I've ever carried a purse.  I don't carry it IN, except at work, but it goes from my house to my car on the daily.  My favorite color is blue, and it's a royal blue, it's really well made and it was worth every penny.

Ok, ok, now to the "what's in it" part of the post.  Let me grab it, and let's get into it, shall we...

Top of the bag is candy currently.  I found several new candies at work yesterday, and bought them all for the trying.  Snowball and Sugar Cookie varieties of M&M's, Sugar Cookie Hershey Bars, and a Birthday Cake cookie.  

A wallet, and a FABULOUS Coach wristlet that Two bought me for my birthday in June.  The wallet has cards that I don't use as often but still need to have available, and the wristlet has the cards I use most frequently for easily grabbing it out of the bag and taking it in the store.  I love that it is a wristlet and I don't have to worry about holding it or putting it down somewhere and forgetting it.  Highly recommend a wristlet if you aren't a purse carrier.

A small composition book (slightly bigger than my hand) that I use for affirmations, and manifestations.  

8 medications.  I was diagnosed with an ulcer 10 days ago, and so there's a lot of meds going on currenlty.  Normally I carry 4 medications with me at all times.  Benadryl because I get spontaneous horrendous hives.  Migraine meds.  Dramamine.  Tylenonl.

Hand sanitizer.  Duh.

Lotion.  

A Clif bar (Coconut Chocolate Chip-my fav!)

A Larabar (Coconut Creme Pie-my fav!  see a theme?)

3 hair tie/pony tail holder, whatever you call the things you use to pull your hair up with.  I try to keep an extra in there for work kids.

A bobby pin in case my hair wants to get unruly.

The Four Agreements.  This is a book I highly recommend.  I often will read a few pages of it when I have a few minutes to just remind me of how to keep myself on the right track.

2 tampons.

2 lip balms.  One standard chapstick and one Carmex.  Dependant on need and level of cold outside.

Tide pen.  Necessity!

Another random notebook just for anything I might want to write down.  

Black Tourmaline.  Protective stone against negative energy and helps spiritually grounding.  This stone also has a lot of other wonderful properties that you can look up, or maybe I'll start doing a stone of the month post and talk about some of my favorites...  wait, back to the list.

Some random pieces of quartz I found on a hike back in September.

5 ink pens and a sharpie.  

Ways to win my heart!

 This is a fun subject, and I had to reflect a little bit on the people I love most and why they have won my heart.

Make me laugh has to be the number one.

Show me your loyalty.  I consider myself to be fiercely loyal, and I find it a very lovely quality when I see it in others.

Take care of me. I am "everybody's mama" and as such, I take care of everyone I love and value.  Therefore, if I notice you doing small things to take care of me, love it!

Be a hugger.  :)  

Give me your time.

Buy me presents.  My work kids will often leave me a bag of M&Ms, or a Red Bull in my drawer at work, and I don't think they have any idea how much it means to me.  It's not because they spent their money on me, it's because they thought about me when I wasn't there and left me something to let me know.

What earns someone a spot in your heart?

Favorite Quote

 Truly, this is a toss up for me.  I would say I have two.  The first is one that changed my life, and the second is from a book and it just sums up ME.  

The first:  Children would rather be from a broken home than live in one. 

Uttered by Dr. Phil on my tv when One and Two were very young and I was miserable with their father.  It felt like he was speaking to me about the damage I was doing by staying in a place that wasn't serving any of us any longer.  And it played over and over in my head for months after until I finally had the courage to end that relationship.  lt changed all of our lives.  And 20ish years later, it is still one of my favorite quotes and I share it with people who tell me they are staying in situations "for the children."  Maybe it has spoken to someone else the same way it did me.  

The second:   I don't cause a commotion, I am one.

Spoken by Elphaba in Wicked. Two is obsessed with Elphaba, and I took her to see the Broadway South performance of the play when it was close to us.  When Elphaba spoke this line on stage, I was like "WOAHHHHHH" and it felt like she was talking to me.  I have the quote tattooed on my back even, so it's a permanent favorite.  

Feel free to share YOUR favorite quote(s) in the comments with me!

Changes are a coming

 In my 30 days of Blogging attempt, I posted about where I see myself in 10 years.  That post was largely about my job, and how I loved my job and wanted to continue with this company for many years.  

Well, that was my hope.  And, for the record, I do still love my job.  However, I don't love the schedule that my job requires.  It leaves 4/5 days of my work week with no life other than work.  I barely see my kids, and I'm too mentally drained after working that far into the night to be capable of doing much of anything.  As a result, I miss my kids, and my house is falling apart.  I just can't keep up with the housework.  My boys are quickly growing up (Three will be 15 in 3 months, and Four is 12 1/2!) and I don't want to feel like I'm giving up these last years with them.

So I quit my job.  To be fair, I asked for a schedule change and was denied.  This is the schedule I signed up for, so it is what it is.  I just hate it more than I could have possibly imagined I would. I agreed to work 4 more weeks when I put in my notice, and I've completed the first of those.  I lose a little bit of my soul every time I go there at this point, BUT I'm trying to stay focused on these coming paychecks getting me through Christmas.  Paying my rent a little in advance so I don't have to worry for those first couple of months.  And spending time with all my work kids (who I will miss, but am hopeful that the ones I'm closest to and I will see each other after this time.)

I'm going to miss a lot of the people (my team, and my customers) but I am feeling really confident about where life is going to take me from here.  I have no net, no parachute, but I'm jumping anyway.  Truthfully, I don't even feel afraid. And if you know me in real life, you know that I spent the first 40 years of my life making most of my choices based in fear so it's quite the 180!  Other people in my life are scared for me, and maybe at some point I'll hit fear, but right now I feel very at peace with the choice and confident that whatever is meant for me will show up.  Trusting the universe in ways that I have never been able to before.  

So if you know of a legit job that you think would fit me, let's hear it.  

30 Days of Blogging: I failed.

 So 3 months ago, I started a blog challenge where you blogged every day for 30 days.  I did 7 posts, and not even in 7 days, it was 16.  *eye roll*  

I often say I'm going to give more time to this, as it really does serve me and make me feel better to write about things.  But I pretty consistently fall off the wagon.  

This is a self-care issue.  I know that this makes me feel better, I know that it is a good outlet for me, and yet...I don't prioritize it as I should.  I'm going to once again PROCLAIM that I'm going to prioritize this in my life.  I may not be great at it for the next month, because I'm going through some things that I will blog about tomorrow.  After that though, freedom to do as I please will arrive and I'm making some big moves to really prioritize ME.  

Bear with me, change is in progress and these next few months are gonna be one hell of a ride!

30 Days of Blogging: Day 7

 Reveal what your zodiac sign is and if it's a good fit. <side eye>

I'm a gemini. 

The 7 key traits are Gemini:

Adaptable

Outgoing

Intelligent

Indecisive

Impulsive

Unreliable

Nosy

I don't feel like I am unreliable, at all.  But the rest of that?  Probably pretty dead on.  I can be indecisive, but I'm actively working on being less impulsive.  

Gemini's are notoriously 2 faced and I don't do that.  I tell people all the time, I'm the kind of friend who will stab you in the forehead.  Meaning, I'm not going to talk behind your back.  I will tell you exactly how I feel.  Gemini's are also known grudge holders.  And, I'm NOTORIOUSLY too forgiving.