30 Day Challenges - Giving up something I love
What a busy week! We are completely understaffed and it is a busy time and thank God the Husband has been able to help out. Our poor nanny hurt her knee so there has been a lot of juggling and coordinating and oh I need a nap. Yesterday I had to work late so I actually had a bit of a slower and relaxing morning. I took my time getting ready, finished up a blog post and actually sat on the sofa for more than 10 minutes. I am trying to slow my days down a little this year because I find that I end up burning out too often. I no longer set my alarm for 5:30 a.m. and it is definitely making a difference. And I can stay up until 10:30 now because I am a big girl! I still get up early but not so early and I am still crazy busy, but I am going just a little bit slower. It is February, and it is going to be pretty crazy, but if I take a few breaths, I will be just fine... where's the Adderall?
Sidenote: I don't take Adderall. Because getting a prescription for that in Austria is impossible. Heh. Cough. Anyway, speaking of taking it easy, this weekend I have two fancy events to attend. I never said I was going to completely slow down. On Friday night is a gala fundraiser at the Intercontinental. The fundraiser is to raise money for a young man who has been disowned by his family due to his sexual orientation. He has been cut off by his family and he is studying and if he loses his place in school, he will have to go back home which terrifyingly means he might face death. It pains me as a human and as a mother that something like this happens and I am happy to be able to contribute a little to helping this young man out. I also get to wear a fancy dress again. I never said I wasn't a little self-centered.
In other news, the Kid is doing really really well. We are now at about 12 hours of therapy a week and he is loving it! He seems so engaged and he seems incredibly happy each time one of his two therapy providers comes over. He also like the ladies. He is a flirt. Just like his mother. We are incredibly lucky to have this set up and I think about how long we waited to get where we are. I also know that we are incredibly lucky to be able to afford this situation and I know that I must keep working on making this a reality for more families in the future. Which brings me to the Beacon Beach House. Last month was the incredible fundraiser and I am just waiting for the final confirmation about the new bank account. I sent the last set of paperwork just over a week ago and since they haven't written back asking for more stuff, I think that means it is being processed. Or they are just messing with me and in a day or two I will get an e-mail asking me to submit a document listing all my embarrassing moments in bullet form: starting with the time I almost severed my sister's finger in a door and then tried to hide from my parents under a glass table in the living room. I was 5. I think then my parents realized I wouldn't be a doctor. Or good at hiding. Anyway, hopefully once I get the bank account, I can set up the GoFundMe and then I can start getting the monies and then start looking for a location. Chicken egg, Money location. There are a couple of events coming up: a therapy networking evening as well as a parent's night. I am also waiting to hear back from a movie theater about hosting another sensory friendly movie afternoon. I also want to start weekend lunches for families in March so stay tuned for that! There will also be some more seminars coming up! So exciting! I need a drink.
Which actually brings me to the next topic. Most of you know that I like to set myself up for almost impossible challenges. I usually do well but sometimes I fail: re: ball dress by hand. But last month I successfully completed a 30 day vegan challenge. It was hard and it wasn't. Once I got into the swing of it, it wasn't the worst thing I had done. I wore Crocs once. Anyway, the end result was that I lost 2 kilos (4.5 pounds) and 8 centimeters off my waist. And I wasn't even trying. Well, save for that one time I almost passed out in the cheese section of the grocery store. Pretty nuts. I felt better, my skin looked better and I slept better. I was pretty sold. So besides the 4 days of an orgy of dairy, I am now back on the wagon. I will not be vegan when I am out for dinner or for events or with friends but for the most part, it looks like I will be following a mostly plant-based diet. A friend asked me the other day, after I told her how great I felt after the 30 days, why I didn't just become a vegan and I looked at her in horror "I can't announce myself as a vegan! That is obnoxious! And you know how much of a people pleaser I am!" She just looked at me and walked out of my office.
So I now have started another couple 30 day challenges because #masochist. The first one I have done before and I was doing it last month but lost the plot halfway through: yoga. That's right, daily yoga for 30 days. And the other challenge, and you might have to sit down for this one... wait for it... I can't believe I am typing this... 30 days no alcohol. WHAT?!? NOOO!
I know right? I made the rash, so very rash, decision on Sunday after the Science Ball. I was sitting on the sofa, inhaling my mac and cheese from a box, feeling absolutely exhausted, and it was then that I decided to take away one thing that gives me so much joy in my life: booze. As I said before, it was a rash decision and I solidified this decision by even using a hashtag on Instagram. Instagram is forever, you guys. I think this will be a good challenge and a soul destroying one. I don't have a drinking problem (that I will admit to), and I can go days without alcohol, and I don't really drink at home, but when I go out, RUMSPRINGA! And then I am exhausted the next day and I fall into a pool of unhealthy eating choices, want to take multiple naps and spend most of the time in a womb of self-pity. I am currently too busy to lose days this month and voila, drinking ban. WHY GOD WHY?!? This will be an especially hard challenge because already this weekend I have two formal events coming up: the gala fundraiser and the IAEA ball on Saturday. How am I going to do this? Will I be like Fun Bobby from Friends? Take away the booze and I will be just a ball of limp lint in chiffon? Will I lose my natural (pickled) charm? I mean, I can be funny sober, right? RIGHT? Oh God. What have I done? But actually, on a serious note, I crack myself up so I will be just fine. Again, I never said that I was modest. Crippling self doubt about the way I look, maybe, but lots of confidence.
And so definitely stay tuned. I am on day 4. I'm handling it alright. Big test on Friday, wish me luck! So it is time to wind down this post, and head to work. I have another late work day ahead of me and no wine at the end of it. Sad Tova. But smug Tova! I wish you all a fabulous Wednesday and stay tuned for my next post about a photo shoot I did last week and of course, about an Operation Tubetop giveaway to say thank you to all of you who still read this masochistic and self-promoting blog! Toodles!
Sidenote: I don't take Adderall. Because getting a prescription for that in Austria is impossible. Heh. Cough. Anyway, speaking of taking it easy, this weekend I have two fancy events to attend. I never said I was going to completely slow down. On Friday night is a gala fundraiser at the Intercontinental. The fundraiser is to raise money for a young man who has been disowned by his family due to his sexual orientation. He has been cut off by his family and he is studying and if he loses his place in school, he will have to go back home which terrifyingly means he might face death. It pains me as a human and as a mother that something like this happens and I am happy to be able to contribute a little to helping this young man out. I also get to wear a fancy dress again. I never said I wasn't a little self-centered.
In other news, the Kid is doing really really well. We are now at about 12 hours of therapy a week and he is loving it! He seems so engaged and he seems incredibly happy each time one of his two therapy providers comes over. He also like the ladies. He is a flirt. Just like his mother. We are incredibly lucky to have this set up and I think about how long we waited to get where we are. I also know that we are incredibly lucky to be able to afford this situation and I know that I must keep working on making this a reality for more families in the future. Which brings me to the Beacon Beach House. Last month was the incredible fundraiser and I am just waiting for the final confirmation about the new bank account. I sent the last set of paperwork just over a week ago and since they haven't written back asking for more stuff, I think that means it is being processed. Or they are just messing with me and in a day or two I will get an e-mail asking me to submit a document listing all my embarrassing moments in bullet form: starting with the time I almost severed my sister's finger in a door and then tried to hide from my parents under a glass table in the living room. I was 5. I think then my parents realized I wouldn't be a doctor. Or good at hiding. Anyway, hopefully once I get the bank account, I can set up the GoFundMe and then I can start getting the monies and then start looking for a location. Chicken egg, Money location. There are a couple of events coming up: a therapy networking evening as well as a parent's night. I am also waiting to hear back from a movie theater about hosting another sensory friendly movie afternoon. I also want to start weekend lunches for families in March so stay tuned for that! There will also be some more seminars coming up! So exciting! I need a drink.
Which actually brings me to the next topic. Most of you know that I like to set myself up for almost impossible challenges. I usually do well but sometimes I fail: re: ball dress by hand. But last month I successfully completed a 30 day vegan challenge. It was hard and it wasn't. Once I got into the swing of it, it wasn't the worst thing I had done. I wore Crocs once. Anyway, the end result was that I lost 2 kilos (4.5 pounds) and 8 centimeters off my waist. And I wasn't even trying. Well, save for that one time I almost passed out in the cheese section of the grocery store. Pretty nuts. I felt better, my skin looked better and I slept better. I was pretty sold. So besides the 4 days of an orgy of dairy, I am now back on the wagon. I will not be vegan when I am out for dinner or for events or with friends but for the most part, it looks like I will be following a mostly plant-based diet. A friend asked me the other day, after I told her how great I felt after the 30 days, why I didn't just become a vegan and I looked at her in horror "I can't announce myself as a vegan! That is obnoxious! And you know how much of a people pleaser I am!" She just looked at me and walked out of my office.
So I now have started another couple 30 day challenges because #masochist. The first one I have done before and I was doing it last month but lost the plot halfway through: yoga. That's right, daily yoga for 30 days. And the other challenge, and you might have to sit down for this one... wait for it... I can't believe I am typing this... 30 days no alcohol. WHAT?!? NOOO!
I know right? I made the rash, so very rash, decision on Sunday after the Science Ball. I was sitting on the sofa, inhaling my mac and cheese from a box, feeling absolutely exhausted, and it was then that I decided to take away one thing that gives me so much joy in my life: booze. As I said before, it was a rash decision and I solidified this decision by even using a hashtag on Instagram. Instagram is forever, you guys. I think this will be a good challenge and a soul destroying one. I don't have a drinking problem (that I will admit to), and I can go days without alcohol, and I don't really drink at home, but when I go out, RUMSPRINGA! And then I am exhausted the next day and I fall into a pool of unhealthy eating choices, want to take multiple naps and spend most of the time in a womb of self-pity. I am currently too busy to lose days this month and voila, drinking ban. WHY GOD WHY?!? This will be an especially hard challenge because already this weekend I have two formal events coming up: the gala fundraiser and the IAEA ball on Saturday. How am I going to do this? Will I be like Fun Bobby from Friends? Take away the booze and I will be just a ball of limp lint in chiffon? Will I lose my natural (pickled) charm? I mean, I can be funny sober, right? RIGHT? Oh God. What have I done? But actually, on a serious note, I crack myself up so I will be just fine. Again, I never said that I was modest. Crippling self doubt about the way I look, maybe, but lots of confidence.
And so definitely stay tuned. I am on day 4. I'm handling it alright. Big test on Friday, wish me luck! So it is time to wind down this post, and head to work. I have another late work day ahead of me and no wine at the end of it. Sad Tova. But smug Tova! I wish you all a fabulous Wednesday and stay tuned for my next post about a photo shoot I did last week and of course, about an Operation Tubetop giveaway to say thank you to all of you who still read this masochistic and self-promoting blog! Toodles!
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