Intentional Living Idea List
This week’s featured printable is a new idea list designed to help you incorporate some intentional actions into your daily routines. I feel fortunate that in my current season of life I have more freedom and time than I did when I was actively parenting. There were days when I was in the thick of raising my four kids when I felt like the only time I had for myself was going to the bathroom. But even now, on the cusp of an empty nest, I find myself constantly reminded of how easy it is to get caught up in the daily grind and let life devolve into mindless social media scrolling and binge watching Netflix.
This one-page printable checklist is designed to help you incorporate small doses of intention into your daily routine, as ay of making each day more mindful and fulfilling.
Take a few deep breaths before starting any task or activity. If you sit at a desk most of the day, try getting up and moving around on a regular basis.
Make time for yourself to do things that make you happy.
Practice mindful eating by chewing slowly, savoring each bite, and paying attention to the taste, texture, and aroma of your food.
Incorporate mindful movement into your daily routine, such as walking or stretching. Choose activities that you enjoy and make you feel energized, rather than depleted.
Take breaks throughout the day to stretch, move, or simply rest your mind.
Practice self-compassion by speaking kindly to yourself and acknowledging that it's okay to make mistakes or have bad day.
Set boundaries to protect your time, energy, and well-being.
Practice getting comfortable saying no and practice asking others for help.
Try a mindfulness meditation. This could be a breathing exercise, yoga or just sitting quietly in a peaceful space. Start with 5-10 minutes and increase a couple of minutes each day. Focus on your breath and bring your attention back to the present moment whenever your mind wanders. Note how you feel after each practice.
You can print out this checklist and keep it in a visible place as a reminder to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine. I hope you like it!
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Setting Intentions for the Springtime
Hello Friends,
I hope this finds you well and safe. The blustery March winds are blowing here in Maine, like a last gasp of winter. The tiny tips of purple snowdrops are just starting to peek out of the ground and the daffodil leaves are tall and stately, but not quite ready to reveal their flower petals.
I’ve been reading up on the history of Beltane and thinking about some ideas for printables and perhaps another course, like the Ostara Course so many of you enjoyed. I also thought it would be great to hear from some of you, about what kind of content you enjoy or would like to see more on Mabon House. So, if you have a couple of minutes I would love to hear from you. I’ve put together this short anonymous questionnaire/poll, to make it easy to share your ideas for Mabon House.
This week’s printable is a Spring Intentions Worksheet. I like this worksheet because it reminds me to make time in my schedule to do things I enjoy. My daughter recently returned to Maine after living out of state for the past two years and we’ve been planning some fun day trips to take now that the weather is warming up. But our work schedules are opposite each other, so if we don’t set aside time NOW to plan for our trips, they won’t happen.
Here’s what I added to my worksheet:
I want to be, do and have: I want to be consistent in my writing practice, do more physical activity to help reduce anxiety and stress, and have more fun and adventure in my everyday life.
I want to spend more time doing the following: writing for fun, walking outside, visiting with my family, getting out and about to visit new places.
I want to spend less time doing the following: Working on the computer and screen time.
Fun activities I want to do this season: Visit some antique stores along the coast, picnic at the beach, go hiking and do some kind of writing retreat.
After reviewing my answers, I decided the theme of my springtime intentions is Adventure. Which feels really good after two years of being home most of the time. I’d love to hear about your springtime intentions and adventures.
I hope the flowers are blooming in your corner of the world and you are able to have some springtime adventures of your own. I’ll see you next week!
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Free Room Refresh Planning Guide
While we’re still a few weeks out from crocus and daffodils, spring is definitely in the air at my house. The March sunshine is warm and the wind is boisterous as it weaves in and out of the pines. The air is full of anticipation and joy - winter is over and another summer beckons.
I’ve started putting together my spring cleaning list, and in the spirit of slow living I am determined to keep my expectations reasonable about what I can actually accomplish in the fickle Maine weather. My usual M.O. is to list out every possible thing that needs to be done around the house and yard, and then feel like an utter disappointment when I come nowhere near finishing everything on the list. This year I’m tackling a few key projects that should only take a few hours each, along with the standard raking, pruning, playing-in-the-dirt fun of springtime.
Top on my list of projects is giving my living room a room refresh. What is a room refresh, you ask? A room refresh is when I make over a room with minimal-to-no-spending. And is one of my favorite things to do. I bought paint for the living room last fall, so technically this room refresh isn’t completely free. But I don’t anticipate having to purchase anything else. Along with a general cleaning and a fresh coat of paint, I’m planning to give my sofa and area rug a deep clean, using a carpet cleaner borrowed from a friend; swap out the existing artwork and photos with ones from other rooms in the house; and add in some new houseplants which I propagated from my favorite pothos plant. After two years of being home pretty much all of the time, my goal is to make this space feel light and airy and brand new.
If you’re interested in tackling some spaces in your home, I’ve put together this room refresh planner to help you get started. I hope you like it!
After my book writing declaration of last week, I’ve been digging into research and sorting copious amounts of notes, determined not only to get a working draft of a book finished, but also to have plenty of great content for Mabon House. And while I love doing research, it can quickly become overwhelming because I want to include all the information in whatever I am writing about.
So to get some perspective, I thought why not ask all of you what you’d like to see more of on Mabon House. If you have a couple of minutes I would love to hear from you. I’ve put together this short anonymous questionnaire/poll, to make it easy to share your ideas for Mabon House.
Thursdays are fast becoming my favorite day of the week because it’s when I receive so many kind messages from all of you. I know some of you have been going through rough times and while I’m not able to answer every email, I just want to say that I am thinking of you. And I’m glad you are here in the Mabon House community. And thank you to the folks who take the time to send me kind words and encouragement. It really means a lot!
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