day 366.

The last day of 2012.

I spent the last few hours of the year playing games and eating good food with friends at a small gathering. At 11 I headed home to wrap up the year alone, reflecting on all that I have accomplished and all that I am looking forward to in the year to come. I wrote intentions, consulted the cards, ate a satsuma and some good chocolate, and cuddle with my dog. It felt like the perfect way to end my year of self-care. With love and joy and intention.

I started 2013 by taking a bubble bath and reading by candlelit. Starting another year of self-care off right.

Now that the year is complete, I won’t be writing here anymore. I will be tracking my self-care in other, less public ways and dreaming up more projects for the years to come, and plan to look back on this blog as a tool and a reminder.

I am proud of myself for completing this project; for making self-care an integral part of my year and life. I have learned so much about myself, my community, and the way I want to go through my days. For me, self-care is vital.

I am looking forward to what the future holds, for all of us.

Be good to yourself. xo.

intentions for 2013.

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days 363-365.

I have spent the last few days of 2012 with one of the most important people in my life. We played lots of games, ate good food, did some cute shopping, and just spent some quality time together. There were some tender and sad moments, but overall it was so good to end this year with them. They are a part of my heart, and in some ways a big inspiration for this project.

Tomorrow is the last day of the year. I plan to spend it doing low-key self-care and reflecting. And will do some ritual around intentions for 2013 as well, before heading to a friend’s for game time and gathering. I can’t believe it is nearly over; what a year it has been!

days 356-358.

Day 356: Solstice

We had a tender little gathering on Solstice eve, filled with good food, laughter, bedroom dancing, and game playing. Then a group of us walked over to the annual Winter Solstice Puppet Show, one of my absolute favorite Portland events. It was as special as ever. After, Wyatt, Jessika, and I had a little letting go ritual to end the night. It was all so perfect, and now I feel ready to welcome back the light.

letting go:

Day 357: crafting, good food, and preparation for the days to come. Oh, and a Ryan Gosling marathon.

Day 358: Cooking and baking!! Today I fried up so many latkes in preparation for Chrismukkah tomorrow. And soon will be baking chocolate chunk cookies and maybe some toasted coconut shortbread. And probably more movie watching and good food. I really love this time of year and the break from work/school. I am doing my best to make every day count in ways that are meaningful to me as 2012 comes to an end.

day 349.

Today self-care looks like calling in sick to work.

day 347.

Today self-care looked like doing some much needed deep cleaning while listening to This American Life, catching up on laundry, napping, and going to Fat Yoga for the second time. I really want to work on going weekly, as I love the class and the way it makes me feel. So grounding and in my body, and I find in winter time especially I need way more of that. I also had breakfast for dinner and picked up the book I had on hold at the library! Now off to read it before bed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Wednesdays are the best days for self-care for me.

day 346.

I can’t believe there are only 20 days left to this year. 20 days left to this project that I feel I have been relatively good at (actually, great at, just not the most awesome at documenting it all). I definitely feel like a different person compared to where I was last year, and I think I can say that a great deal of that has to do with how much intention I have tried to put behind self-care and being my own best love. The plan is to forever continue this process, especially now that I have such a foundational experience to draw upon.

Self-care for the past few days has looked like:

• Cleaning my room! So overdue and so worth finally getting to!
• Processing. Crying. Talking it out. Feeling better.
• Naps after work!!
• Pushing myself out of my comfy zone a bit.
• Writing a long letter before bed instead of zoning out on the internet
• Reading! I’m finally getting around to one of Brene Brown’s books, and totally loving it.
• Making latkes and celebrating Hanukkah!!

 

day 340.

Today I:

• slept in
• wrote a really long, delightful letter
• worked on my embroidery project
• cooked a delicious curry
• finished season 2 of game of thrones

I love a Wednesday with no homework involved!!

 

day 339.

Today self-care looked like writing my last paper and not stressing about it, turning it in and officially being done with the term. I’m so looking forward to the next month off of school. It couldn’t come soon enough, truly. I’m going to use this time to recharge, refocus, and relax, so that I’m ready to go in January when my first practicum starts. I can’t wait.

day 338.

Today self-care looked like finishing the term. It was my last night of classes, and it feels so good to be done with this quarter (well, I have one more paper to write tomorrow, but still). I feel like I slogged through these classes, and for the first time in my program didn’t love every minute of it. But I did the work, got out of it what I could, and I’m that much closer to getting to where I want to be. And that’s good enough for today.

day 337.

Today self-care looked like dancing in the kitchen to Beyonce jams while baking biscuits. And then taking a plate full of said biscuits to a lovely birthday brunch for a dear friend.

It also looked like finishing up the majority of my class assignments (only 1 left!), making matzoh ball soup to kick the last dregs of this cold out of my system, and baking the best chocolate chunk cookies ever. I even managed to watch a movie! I love weekends.

I’m so looking forward to school being done tomorrow for the term,  and for all of the crafting, cooking, reading, and movie watching that I will accomplish in December!