Last week I had a pretty good week and then this week, well, it was the opposite. I could so easily point the finger at the evil day job and my volunteer responsibilities, they both deserve the evil eye, but I’m convinced I could have done better. At this point in the analysis I cold stop and attempt to unhook the disappointment, but nope, I can’t, because I can and want to do more with my week. The test will come this week when I’m expecting much of the same from the evil day job. I’m going to take the feeling I’ve got itching in my fingers and barrel right into the coming week. Wish me luck, I’m probably going to need it.

The Goals – week-2 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done.
• Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting- done. I did read three more sections in my current craft book, but I didn’t finish it. I did read two more chapters in my CPs WIP, but I didn’t finish that either. I did figure out some plot holes and I added almost 2k to the WIP.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- NOT DONE. Ugh, I only worked out once this week. WEEK 3 PRIORITY
• Daily Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- I did nothing here this week 😦 WEEK 3 PRIORITY
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. I finished several reports, paid many bills and got them all in the mail.
• Organize something in the house each week- done. I organized paper this week. I sorted, I piled, I shredded, I recycled. When I was half way done, I had a big ole mess, but it made a huge difference and we’re one step closer to the tax accountant. Yeah!

I got to almost all my goals in some way, but Nia, but I didn’t get enough done to really make me pleased. I’ll try again this week.

What you might have missed here this week:

Spotlight on Holiday Jinx by Abbey MacInnis
Breaking it Down with Jenna Owens author of Taught
Menage Romance 2013 Fan Choice Awards
Flash Fiction #34 Who’s There?
 

Each round I take what works and leave the rest behind. Through the four rounds last year I discovered, although I can write in the afternoon, I make the most progress in the morning, before I dive into evil day job monotony. I’m thankful I have a job and family that allow me this kind of flexibility. Over each round of 80-days I’ve tweaked my morning routine and this round is no different.

I’ve shifted my schedule once again and made time for reading my writing craft book before I dive into writing for the day. Read on to see how it worked out.

The Goals – week-1 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done
• Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting- I wrote everyday this week and added 3,255 words. A little everyday, not bad for my first week back at it. The real win here is that I read from my current craft book a little bit everyday. Woot! I didn’t spend a lot of time each day, but I did make steady progress. I hope to finish this book next week, now that I’m almost half way through it, and get back to my Margie packet.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done, huge improvement over the last two  weeks
• Daily Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- I didn’t hit this everyday, but I did get two-days in. I need to fine tune my schedule to give this goal a fighting chance.
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- crazy busy week  for this goal, but I finished all my reports and provided the numbers our parent population needed to approve a new class for this coming fall. Yeah!  I wish I could say next week will be better, but nope, the next several weeks will be ugly. I’ll need to keep this in mind as I plan out my days.
• Organize something in the house each week- I made significant progress this week. I organized the front closet and one junk drawer in the kitchen, that leaves one more junk drawer to go…in the kitchen 😉

I feel like I made significant forward movement this week and that makes me very happy. I’m ready to take on week 2, where once again, I’ll keep what works and leave the rest behind. Here we go.

But, before you go, check out what you might have missed here this week:

Review Prophecy of the Undead by Fiona McGier
Beer and Groping in Las Vegas by Angela Quarles PLUS Fun with 10
Special Guest Naomi Shaw author of Unexpected Lessons

Over the last couple of days I keep finding myself stopping mid-thought or mid-action with my emotions filling me and stopping me cold. In that moment, I feel powerless except in my ability to send support and strength through thought and prayer. There are other things we can do. I for one will be looking for other ways to support the families of Newtown and until then, I will hug my own family and make sure they know I love them.

That conversation puts my goal list in perspective, but I still want to see them done and I’m not giving up. I’ll be back for another round of 80-days in January, there is still much to do. Now, let’s see how I’ve finished this forth round of the year.

The Goals – week-11 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done. I love this goal, so glad I made it a habit this year. It keeps my characters close and my creative energy flowing.
• Weekly progress in word count, editing, and/or plotting- done. It may surprise you that I didn’t edit this week. Nope, not me, I wrote. I started something new and got just over the 2k mark, not much but it’s a start, and I’m looking forward to writing more this week.
• Finish reading current craft book- This goal was sadly ignored this round. I need to find a way to make this a priority in my WEEKLY schedule.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done.
• Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week- Balance Finger. Standing on one leg, challenge your balance and use your hands in space for support. With your palms facing down, press your middle finger – the power finger – down towards the earth, keeping your other fingers extended straight out. Benefits: practicing the Balance Finger integrates the upper body with the lower body and directs energy through the center of your palm to the center of the body.
• Finish the Nia Sanjana-routine bars and start the Nia Opal-routine bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- are you ready for a surprise? I finished this goal. Not only did I finish the Sanjana bars, but I started the Opal bars. Wahoo!!
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. No meetings, just a couple of bills. But I get to handle tuition payments this coming week. Joy. Always love trying to fit one more big thing into a busy week.
• Organize something in the house each week-  last week I talked about the sad state of my writing space, my dinning room table. Last Sunday, I looked around and spotted an over stuffed bookcase in my front room, the adjoining room. You have one of these bookcases, right? The ones where each row is double or triple stacked with books. I went through the case and found books to donate and all the unread books which I’ve moved to a different spot. I cleared a whole shelf and now I have all the kids crayons, books etc on that shelf. Love the simple and free solutions, but I’m not done yet. My writing space needs more help, but this is a great start.

Hope you all have a fabulous week and get to hug the ones you love. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year too. Before you go, be sure to check out my posts from this past week, some long waited for books and a review. It was a great week here at casa Maylee.

What you might have missed here this week:

Spotlight: MASTER CLASS by Cassandra Carr
Spotlight: Her Heart’s Secret Wish by Juliana Haygert
Review: Rescuing Lacey by Rebecca Heflin
Spotlight: The Cat’s Meow by Stacey Kennedy

My emotions felt like a game of ping-pong this week. Back and forth, up and down. You’d think I was getting ready to hit send or something. 😉 I’ve been here before. My experience with the emotions didn’t make them an easier, but I knew not to pay them much attention and to keep pushing forward. Read on to find out if I succumbed to the madness or got it done and hit…

The Goals – week-10 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done.
• Weekly progress in word count, editing, and/or plotting- done. I was a good CP this week. I read through her latest MS and sent it back before I started on the new set of edits from her. The big news is that I did finish the edits, a read through, AND I sent the MS to the interested editor. I’m really proud of the current state of the MS and I hope she sees it too.
• Finish reading current craft book- last week I said: Once I hit send, I really will not have an excuse anymore. So, this week I want NEED to see progress here. WEEK 11 PRIORITY.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done. Except I had to give myself a pass on Tuesday night at the annual evil day job holiday party. A 5-star chef give us a cooking lesson. Oh yeah. I had fabulous soup, I had tiny parmesan cheese toasts, I had a tiny puffy pastry pouch with brie and jelly, I had melt in your mouth beef tenderloin, garlic mash potatoes, a fried leek, salad with raspberry vinaigrette and dried cherries, and finally creme brulee with crushed candy canes. I blew my calorie limit out of the water, but it was so worth it.
• Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week- Touching. Use your hands simply to touch the things that are around you. Touch your own skin and the space around you. Benefits: excellent training for increasing your sensory IQ and for improving body awareness. It can also help self-heal physical trauma and naturally guide the body into relaxation.
• Finish the Nia Sanjana-routine bars and start the Nia Opal-routine bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- OMG I am so close on this one. I almost have the last set of bars all drawn out, but I just didn’t finish it all yesterday. WEEK 11 PRIORITY.
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. I had an easier week with this goal. One parent meeting and a couple of bills.
• Organize something in the house each week-  I didn’t actually do anything on this goal this week, but I know what needs to happen. I’m a work from home/stay at home mom which means a large portion of my day is spent in the dining room. We have a large table in here, but half of it is covered in papers, books, coloring books, flash cards, crayons… The mess stresses me out<–not something you want in a workspace. This space needs a face lift. It needs storage. It needs a new color, something that will inspire. I know what it needs, now I just need to figure out how to make it all happen.

Hope you all have a fabulous week.

What you might have missed here this week:

I Want That One by Paige E. Roberts Plus some Q and A
Spotlight: Christmas Delights by Gemma Parkes
Flash Fiction #31 – Say Yes

Weren’t we already trying to juggle the impossible, now we’re throwing holiday cards, parties, traveling for work parties (gosh, I really don’t want to go), buying stuff for everyone, baking, planning, etc. About the only thing I don’t mind squeezing into the schedule are the donations, I only wish I could do more. I love the holidays, don’t get me wrong. Once everything is done, I will enjoy them. BUT, I have a book I’m trying to finish, cant the holidays wait until I hit send?

No? Okay. Well with any luck, I’ll hit send this week and then I can get on with the next goal. Eyes forward, no looking back. Sure, we can always plan a little better, work a little harder, but we’re learning as we go, and each decision and result builds on our knowledge stores, and thus, it’s never wasted. This is most certainly the time of year to live in the moment. So, eyes forward, live, love, and enjoy these last four weeks of 2012.

The Goals – week-9 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done.
• Weekly progress in word count, editing, and/or plotting- done. I did finish a round of edits, a read through, sent the MS back to the CP, AND got it back. I love my CP 🙂 she told me my MS was (I’m quoting) 100% no, 200% better! She found a mess of comma errors, I know, you’re not surprised, lol, and there are two spots I want to make changes, but then…that’s it, hands off and I’ll hit send.
• Finish reading current craft book- there is only 2 1/2 weeks left in this round. I won’t be finishing my Margie packet this round, bummer, I just can’t see it happening, but I do want to see progress. Once I hit send, I really will not have an excuse anymore. WEEK 10 PRIORITY.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done.
• Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week- Finger Flicks. Place your thumb over your four fingernails, pushing them against the thumb to create positive tension, and then flick your fingers out, as if you were flicking water off them. Change the direction of your palms and the position of your arms. Benefits: conditions your forearm muscles and hands, keeping the energy flowing into and out of the hands and keeping tension out of the neck and shoulders.
• Finish the Nia Sanjana-routine bars and start the Nia Opal-routine bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- I may not have made progress on the last song in the routine, but I did a practice teach this week and it felt great. I want this goal done before that last full week check-in. The challenge is on. WEEK 10 PRIORITY.
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. I finished collecting tuition, sent out the next round of invoices, and did the monthly reporting.
• Organize something in the house each week-  done. I have an abandoned collection of products in my bathroom from when I had time to pamper myself with body scrubs and baths. I went through the cabinet and trashed all the spoiled products. I did find a few things I can still use and I have a cleaned drawer, score.

Hope you all have a fabulous week.

What you might have missed here this week:

Claimed By Dragons by Amber Skyze & Katalina Leon
Spotlight: A Man To Trust by Cheryl Yeko
Flash Fiction #31 – Her Scent

I’m not sharing 6-sentences this week, but I am posting my ROW80 (A Round of Words in 80 Days – the writing challenge that knows you have a life) update, which I also post each Sunday during the 80-day challenge. I’ll be back next Sunday with a new 6.

Disappointment can be caused by simply having your expectations too high. How much should I have expected out of a holiday week? Well, we didn’t travel this year, although I did cook quite a feast, and we did have company for two days. But. I’m just getting a handle on my new normal, so, yes, my expectations were a bit high, My goals needed a good week. I enjoyed my family, I enjoyed the holiday and for that alone I can’t be disappointed, but my results were a mixed bag.

I did make a change in my schedule that will help week-9. I didn’t sign-up for Six Sunday this week and instead I will spend several extra hours on goals today. Triple word score.

The Goals – week-8 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done.
• Weekly progress in word count, editing, and/or plotting- done. I made huge progress on edits this week. Today I expect to finish a round of edits and make a huge dent on the next read through. My CP is expecting my MS this week and I’m very much looking forward to sending it to her. Boo-ya!
• Finish reading current craft book- here’s the first victim this week. I’m working through Margie’s Empowering Characters Emotions packet. I need to figure out a way to fit this in, I’ll keep at it. WEEK 9 PRIORITY.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done.
• Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week- Pumps. Squeeze and then relax the palm and fingers of your hand, as if you were milking a cow. Change the tension of the squeeze. Sense for an increasing sensation of relaxation in your hands after each pump. Benefits: reminds you to keep tension out of your neck and shoulders by keeping your hands active. Builds power in the forearms and fingers.
• Finish the Nia Sanjana-routine bars and start the Nia Opal-routine bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- second victim and it’s even more painful because I’m so close to done on this whole goal. WEEK 9 PRIORITY.
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. I handled tuition payments this week.
• Organize something in the house each week-  we have art work from our boys all over the house, but new stuff is constantly coming in and it’s a big job sorting and shifting through it all. Each piece needs time on the frig and in the gallery (in the basement hallway, at the bottom of the stairs, I have a tack strip made out of homasote that holds dozens of pieces for each boy). This week I updated the gallery. First, I took pictures of the works of art for the archives and then I got a new series up. I think I need to add curator to my list of titles, lol.

Hope you all have a fabulous week.

What you might have missed here this week:

Random Stuff: Liebster, Sunshine, and more
Flash Fiction #30 – Finding Her Human

Persistence can pay off, thankfully. I kept trying to get back on track and this week I finally felt back in it. The key to my recovery was remembering my passion. Before I continue that thought…

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. I hope you all have safe travels and yummy eats where ever you celebrate this week.

…I have a passion for telling stories. Life just doesn’t fit right when I’m not paying attention to my stories. It has been a struggle to shape my new normal, but once I let myself remember why I do it, I fell right back into line. I took back control with persistence, I kept trying and I kept working at it.

It wasn’t a perfect week, but I feel great about it

The Goals – week-7 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done.
• Weekly progress in word count, editing, and/or plotting- done. I got a ton of editing done this week and by the end of Thanksgiving week I hope to be ready, again, for beta readers. WAHOO! 😀
• Finish reading current craft book- I spent some time with Margie this week. I’m working through her Empowering Characters Emotions packet. I would like to see more weekly movement. WEEK 8 PRIORITY.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done.
• Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week- Strikes. Strike out with the heel of your hand, as if forcefully pushing someone out of the way. Stop suddenly before your arm is fully extended and sense the positive tension in your arms and hands that protects your elbow joint. Benefits: helps you to learn to move with precision and for developing quick reactions.
• Finish the Nia Sanjana-routine bars and start the Nia Opal-routine bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- I started mapping out the last song in the routine, but it’s not yet done.
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. Just a couple of emails this week. Lovely.
• Organize something in the house each week-  I completely forgot about this goal. WEEK 8 PRIORITY

Hope you all have a fabulous week and Happy Thanksgiving!

What you might have missed here this week: 

Tantalizing Tuesday #3 – Time to Dance
Delilah’s Passion by Sarah Bella & Writer Advice
Review: Hear Me by Skye Warren

Is anything holding you back from your dreams? Is it time, organization, commitments, or is it you? Writing certainly takes time, those first drafts can take forever and then you have to add in time for edits, critiques, studying the craft, building your brand… Organization is most certainly helpful, there’s so much to keep track of, your character’s names, traits, passions…your plot points…grammar and formatting…edits… The list of things competing for your time is long. When the precious hour presents itself, are you taking advantage or do you occasionally let insecurity slip in unnoticed and steal the precious time away?

The benefit of never finishing is you haven’t given it your all and that’s your built in excuse for why you’re not published. I’m not published, but the book’s not finished. What will I say when I’m finished? Hmm, the insecurity bell is ringing a little too loud over here. Now that my schedule is back to the new normal, I’m finding old battles to fight once again.

How can I compete with my insecurity? Maybe it’s all in the perspective. Sure I want to get published, I want to share my stories with as many as I can. But what really drives me is the story. Until I finish, I won’t know how my story ends. Sure I know the general plot, but edits change things, they change motivations, decisions, experiences and that’s what I must know. I must know the whole story. I must move on to the next story.

Perspective, it’s my spoonful of sugar this week.

Do you have writing insecurities you battle? If you do, what helps you fight back?

The Goals – week-6 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done. I made some progress on edits this week and it fueled the time I spent with just me and my characters.
• Weekly progress in word count, editing, and/or plotting- 1/2 done, again. A big portion of my week was spent getting organized on my new laptop. I love my new laptop, no more waiting for the machine to catch up with me. I feel like I’ve been given the gift of time. The organization needed to be done, but at times I felt like I was procrastinating from the real business at hand. I need to get these edits done so I can send the MS to betas. It’s time for another goal here to keep my eye on the prize, which is finishing. More on that next week. I did get through some simple line edits this week, but I have a much bigger task ahead of me. WEEK 7 PRIORITY.
• Finish reading current craft book- I spent no time with Margie this week. I will consider this goal this week while I create my new goal. My edits need to make traction and so does this goal. WEEK 7 PRIORITY.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done.
• Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week- Chop Cut. Chop the air with the edge, or “blade side,” of your hand. Keep your thumb and finger extended, and your wrist mobile, to support a powerful chopping action. Let gravity work for you. As you chop downward, imagine you are vanquishing something that is holding you back from achieving all you desire. Use emotion and sound to move closer to your dreams.
• Finish the Nia Sanjana-routine bars and start the Nia Opal-routine bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- I can hardly believe it, I finished mapping another song!!! I have just one more song to map for the Sanjana routine.
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. It was an easy week, just two meetings.
• Organize something in the house each week-  This week I accomplished two non-writing/non-Nia items. I finally cut back all my rose, raspberry, and evergreen bushes. We had some good weather this week and I totally took advantage. In addition, I made applesauce yesterday, yum. I should give myself extra credit in strength training too, I turned that food mill a billion times yesterday 🙂 Neither task was organizational, but they needed to get done and both took a good chunk of time.

I think I might have to use that Chop Cut on my insecurities. The last two sentences of the move’s description is going to give me back my power this week, that and me developing a new goal. I’m taking back control. Spoonful of sugar. Chop Cut.

Hope you all have a fabulous week

What you might have missed here this week: 

Flash Fiction #29 – The Light

I heard a term this week, fake busy. It got me thinking about the different stages in my life and what I might have mistakenly assumed was out of my control and how it changed me personally. If I look back at the times in my life where I was the most cranky, anxious, and unhappy, they’re also the busiest times in my life. We are all products of our environment, right? The truth for me is that I hate being busy. I need room to breath in my day. I need time to stretch my imagination and feel free. The busy bug puts a nasty kink into my creative well being.

I’ve learned a few things in the past couple months. First I could have delegated a few more things and I could have said no. You better believe the next time I’m placed in a similar situation, the pain of the last many weeks will rise, and I WILL SAY NO. Some lessons are hard to learn, while others are pounded in with a sledge hammer and will be impossible to forget.

The light at the end of the tunnel is glowing brighter. The new gal is back from vacation starting tomorrow and my evil day job schedule can finally get back to normal, well, my new normal.

The Goals – week-5 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done. I didn’t make as much progress this week in my daily sessions, but I’m pleased that this goal is a part of my ingrained routine and at least my characters said hello.
• Weekly progress in word count, editing, and/or plotting- 1/2 done. I’ve received edits back from my CP and from the crit group. I’ve reviewed all the comments, but have not yet begun making changes. There are a couple areas I’m contemplating changing and I want to get a handle on them before I dig in. I need more of goal #1 for sure.
• Finish reading current craft book- I spent no time with Margie this week. boo. WEEK 6 PRIORITY.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done.
• Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week- Head and Eye Movements. Look in any direction with your eyes and then follow that direction with a move of your head. Use your eyes to seduce your head, through natural curiosity, into moving. To enhance relaxation, keep your lower jaw slightly open, and let the tip of your tongue press lightly into the roof of your mouth. Benefits: the practice reminds you to look where you go.
• Finish the Nia Sanjana-routine bars and start the Nia Opal-routine bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- Just yesterday I started charting out the next song in the routine. I didn’t make giant progress, but it’s something.
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. This week I handled payroll, bills, monthly reporting, invoices, filed the tax return, and handled the change for a large event. This week will be easier, just a parent meeting.
• Organize something in the house each week-  I took a pass here this week. I had company in the house everyday this week. Everyday. And I still have company. My mom leaves tomorrow, the last in a long string. WEEK-6 PRIORITY.

My house was full of family this week and it was hard at times, but such a joy. My husband’s cousin is nursing her broken heart and doing fantastic. She’s in that point in her life where she wants to be single for some time and figure out exactly what she wants. Once she starts dating again she will stand her ground and not forget about who she is. I’m pretty happy and excited for her. The little jerk may have hurt her, but she will come back stronger and in a better place.

Hope you all have a fabulous week.

What you might have missed here this week:

Cover Reveal: Mystically Bound by Stacey Kennedy
Spotlight: Hear Me by Skye Warren

Waiting for your schedule to calm down and return to “normal” can feel like running around a hamster wheel. After one more attempt I’ve driven this thought home: my new normal just won’t fit back into the box.

So, now what?

Getting angry and stomping my feet will get me absolutely no where, except burn a few calories. It’s time to let go of what once was. Wait, but it was so nice and pretty. Okay, one more second to mourn…that’s enough. I must move on and make this work. It’s time to either accept the pace of my week or make changes to the few things left under my discretion.

I had a pretty good evil day job week, back to the hours I signed up for. My week should have slipped right back into the normal routine, right? Wrong. My youngest turned three at the end of August. I’ve been waiting to give him his big boy room until I had a moment to breathe. So instead of enjoying a week with some extra room, I filled it to the brim with last minute details, painting, sorting, hanging…and the big reveal. The results are spectacular and somehow fit into our budget, even better. My little guy likes robots. The silver lamp you see was my childhood lamp. Up until a couple days ago it was an adorable baby room yellow with delicate white striping. Don’t tell my mom, she doesn’t know yet.

The Goals – week-4 results

• Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters- done
• Weekly progress in word count, editing, and/or plotting- done. This week started with plotting and ended with a battle won round of edits. More huge steps on the critique partner front. I think I might have found the golden egg. The partner that has the skills you need/vice versa and in your genre. She’s a writer I’ve been enjoying too, which is nice. Plus, she’s very active, which is huge. So often things don’t work out, because one or both are not on the same path. Fingers crossed. I hope to send her back my crit of her MS tonight and last night I sent her mine.
• Finish reading current craft book- I spent a few hours with Margie yesterday. Love her packets.
• Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep and my calorie limit- done.
• Study one of the Nia 52-moves each week- Spinal Roll: stand in “A” stance, inhale deeply, look up, sense the front of your body lengthening and opening. Use your hands as support and slide them down your legs. Sink until you reach the point your body says, “enough.” Exhale and look toward the earth, round up, push your feet into the floor and walk your hands back up your legs until you return to a standing posture.
• Finish the Nia Sanjana-routine bars and start the Nia Opal-routine bars (i.e. studying the song/movement structure)- no progress. This task is falling down the hole again this round. Mostly due to my work schedule and apparently it’s prioritized after my writing, which I find very interesting. BUT I do want to study, practice, and teach Nia…I need to find time for this goal in the New Normal. WEEK-5 PRIORITY
• Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities- done. Huge deposits made this week. I could have done more, but I accomplished plenty, which means I have loads to do this coming week. yeah.
• Organize something in the house each week-  done. In preparation for the big boy room change, I needed to to go through my oldest’s closet. A couple weeks ago I pulled out all the clothes he can no longer wear, or so I thought. I’ve found more! I also sorted through my old suits, which I had hanging in his closet. At the end of the review I had more clothes in storage waiting for my youngest, a bag for donation, and a large stack ready for consignment. The organization continued big time as the change in our youngest’s room went into full swing. Glad that is done, but there is still more to do. Including selling all the baby room things. Anyone need a crib set, including valances and hamper in a yellow and green frog/pond theme 🙂

I hope everyone has a great week. I’ll be attempting to change things up this week, which is a must. Later today my hubs cousin from CA is coming to stay with us for two days. Her  boyfriend dumped her cruelly and she’s a little brokenhearted. I’m going to do my part, strong hugs, good coffee, and Nia. She loves Nia.

Be sure to come back this week. I’m super excited to be sharing with you two books I’m totally geeked about. Until then…

What you might have missed here this week:

Review: Wicked Allure by Leslie C. Ferdinand
Spotlight: Anna Doubles Down by Missy Martine
Flash Fiction #28 – Release the Tension