awareness Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

MINDFULNESS – What’s Your Word of the Year?

Paula — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 13:19:08 +0000

Mindfulness – it’s the quality or state of being aware or conscious. To me, it’s being here, present, grateful and aware. My word of the year for 2017 is mindfulness, because I think that personally everyone in my family can work towards being present, when together or even when on their own. Being open and mindful of all our blessings daily as they happen is a gift. Every year I try to come up with a word that will guide my personal and professional life. It’s not a resolution exactly, but a mantra or philosophy. It helps me to move forward and be mindful of the goals I have set. And every year I struggle to come up with a word that sums up my hopes and my philosophy. Last year my word was travel and I wrote about how that went last week. In 2015 my word of the year was celebrate and then in 2014, my word was growth. Health was the first word I chose in 2013 and as a health, travel and technology blogger I committed to striving for better health. That one was challenging. You can strive for better health but you can’t always make it happen. This past week I said no professionally to half a dozen offers that were terrible for me. NO was looking like it would be my word of the year. In fact, I noted the same thing last year at this time. But no is too negative as a mantra. I know mindfulness is super trendy right now. But I wasn’t really ready to commit to mindfulness in daily living in 2016. This year I am. So how does that work? Well, for me, this year I promise to take a few moments every day to stop, inhale, pause and change my thinking so that I am mindful. I will change my inner dialogue daily. Yesterday I started. Despite feeling awful and run down with some miserable cold or flu bug here, I stopped and practiced mindfulness. Quite simply, I told myself: I am here right now, alive. My family loves and supports me. I have a wonderful husband and I love what I do, and I am soaking in a warm bathtub in my house. My line of thinking then led to gratitude for all that we have. Mindful that many do not have what we do. Mindful also of feeling relaxed and loved and warm, soaking in a tub trying to help my body feel better. Aware of the feelings at that time, warm, loved, calm, relaxed, happy. Gratitude, awareness and appreciation all flowed out of mindfulness. So this year, when I travel I will stop and periodically tune everything else out to remind myself: I am here, in this place for the first time, maybe the only time. Then I will pause and feel whatever it is that I am feeling. I will stop taking photos and observe and feel. Maybe that means the memories will remain etched on my brain longer. And throughout the year whether I am swimming in the backyard, or writing a post, or watching my child grade at martial arts or perform in a play, I will be mindful. Take it all in. Life is short. It is also a gift. Sometimes it’s hard to stop and set the phone or camera down and just BE there. Over the course of a lifetime there are many things you will recall, and many more that will be forgotten. Those moments when I stopped and took stock and inhaled he beauty of being where I was at that time are solidly etched on my brain and my heart forever. Mindfulness and OMG Moments: As a child playing on the playground after school in the spring. Feeling independent. That’s the first time I remember feeling mindfulness. This past year I was mindful on most of my trips. Those OMG moments at the top of a mountain in Tremblant. With my husband at Smugglers’ Notch, skiing together. On a boat with Payton as we set sail. Disney on Ice with both my kids. Mindfulness is an act of awareness. I hope to use it well in 2017. My kids, I hope, will join me. Together we will influence dad to try mindfulness too. Do you have a word of the year?

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Mesothelioma Awareness Day 2016 #ENDMESO

Paula — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 09:39:40 +0000

Until very recently I had never even heard of Mesothelioma. It was one of those extremely sad rare cancers that didn’t seem to generate a lot of stories or news. In 2015 and 2016 I heard a lot more about mesothelioma when a good friend’s father passed away of the disease. Recently, a survivor reached out to me with her moving story and I thought I’d share a few facts for Mesothelioma Awareness Day. This week September 26th marks Mesothelioma Awareness Day (MAD). Heather’s Story Heather Von St James is a survivor of ten years. She was a brand new Mom, whose newborn daughter was just three months old when she was diagnosed with this rare cancer. Von St. James lives just outside Minneapolis and devotes her time towards being an advocate for those affected. She also works to educate on the dangers of asbestos as it’s the only scientifically proven cause of mesothelioma – tragically still commonly found in homes, schools and commercial spaces built before 1980. This cancer is not unlike lung cancer and is sometimes lumped in with lung cancer. BUT, unlike lung cancer this asbestos caused cancer affects the pleura and occurs in lungs, lining of the abdomen and the heart. Certain professions have historically been more at risk of developing this rare asbestos cancer because of exposure on the job. For instance, men and women from all four branches (Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines) of the United States military are at higher risk…than the rest of the population. In fact, the veteran population has been affected the most. Asbestos, the only known cause of mesothelioma, was used by the U.S. military in literally hundreds of applications. Read Heather’s blog series here Mesothelioma Facts: A few facts about the type of cancer: Caused by asbestos exposure. Sometimes thought of as asbestos cancer. There are now many alternatives to building with asbestos. Asbestos is Now Banned in Many Countries Many countries (55) have banned asbestos, because it is so toxic. In the 1980s asbestos was mined, exported and imported all over the world. Read Heather’s incredible story of how she was exposed as a child simply from her father’s work clothes. (That’s frightening.) Learn More: You can learn more now – (http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/) is a comprehensive site about this cancer. You can also donate and participate in the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. This resource page has more on how to get involved. Follow Heather on Facebook /HeatherVonStJames and Twitter @HeatherVSJ I was moved by Heather’s story and wanted to share the facts. I think it’s time people understood more about this horrible cancer.

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Adoption, Awareness and Advocacy – Why Are We Still Here? #adoption

Paula — Sat, 07 Nov 2015 20:04:58 +0000

This past week someone googled ” I hate adoption awareness month” and they arrived here on this blog which had me shaking my head at google. So I wanted to set the record straight. Here’s the truth. I don’t hate National Adoption Awareness Month. Quite the opposite actually. But I have gone on record many times over saying awareness is not enough. And I stand by that. I am an adoptive parent. Our family was built via adoption and it is a wonderful means of forming a family. I celebrate that all year round. I celebrate adoption awareness activities and fundraisers that raise the profile of adoption as a means of forming a family. I have even clearly stated that I would not be a parent if not for adoption. Adoption is a hugely important piece of my life and my family. AND ALSO adoption awareness is not enough. I can love adoption and adoption awareness and still say that awareness is not everything, and that there has to be more to this conversation. I have given this topic a tonne of thought lately. It fills my brain this month more than others because I see awareness campaigns happening and I think why are we still here in 2015? It drives me a bit mad actually. I agree 100 % with the fact that all advocacy begins with awareness. It is the place where advocacy conversation starts. It has to start there, so that people understand any given issue or cause, charity, or disease. If you don’t have a critical mass of people that understand or buy into the fact that yes adoption is an important and viable means of supporting child welfare and building healthy families then you can’t build better programs that get children into permanent homes. I support that 100 %. BUT the conversation can’t stop there. Also here’s the thing – adoption has been around forever. Historically, it exists in the Bible. Awareness has been around for decades now. It’s not 1950 or 1960 when birth Moms were spirited away to give birth secretly in a home for unwed mothers. It’s no longer the norm that families stay secretive about the word adoption. But support…. We still fall short daily in 2015 on the support aspect of adoption and family building and permanency planning. And I am frustrated by that. I work with many groups, charities and non governmental organizations on line to build their awareness and support initiatives and we have grown and had brilliant results. We have changed the conversation on line and in real life. That matters and has happened with dedicated effort and many thousands of volunteer hours spent talking to people, in person, and on line. I am very proud of what we have accomplished for many brands and advocacy groups. But for whatever reason, adoption conversation is still stuck. It is not enough to say – adoption is a lovely thing. It is not enough to chime in that:” Oh yes, my neighbour adopted a little girl from China.” OR “My husband’s brother is adopted.” OR “My doctor’s sister was adopted.” We all know someone who is adopted or someone who has adopted. Now we need to begin building bigger conversations. We need to lobby hard for changes that matter and make an impact on adoptive families for life. Subsidy, support, special needs challenges that happen within the framework of adoption are all still lacking. Every year I show up at pre-budget time to tell my provincial government what adoptive families need, what works and what doesn’t. I try hard to elevate this conversation so that changes happen. I have been doing this since 2008. Occasionally one other adoption related group might show up at those pre-budget sessions, but usually I am it. I believe areas of the U.S. are doing some of this conversation better than we are currently in Canada. Their lobby groups are savvy and able to respond when there is a threat to adoption policy. They remain focused and they seem able to see all the many facets of the adoption triad and spectrum while not losing sight of the big picture. So why are we still here? Well, part of me suspects many of the adoptive families and stakeholders who could be elevating this conversation in Canada are so burnt out by battling systems that they have no energy left for anything else. That’s a sad reality. It’s one I see reflected around me in many of the adoptive families I know and help support on line and in person at an adoption support group locally in this city where I live. Advocacy has to be a long term life plan for a charity, or issue, or cause. Step 1 – is awareness. Step 2 – is support. Step 3 – is growth and succession planning. Step 4 – is sustainability. Awareness needs to lead to support and that in turn needs to lead to succession planning and sustainability. I am aware. I celebrate adoption. I also want more for all adoptive families in Ontario and throughout Canada. LONG TERM. We have to do more than just pay lip service to adoption during the month of November. Adoption doesn’t happen just one month of the year. [tweetthis]Adoption doesn’t happen just one month of the year. #adoption[/tweetthis] Are you an adoptee or an adoptive family? Is awareness enough?

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