June | 2015 | Teacher Goes Back to School

Dear Friend,

Summer is upon us. I don’t know about you, but I am ready for some fun. So far, 2015 – WHOA.

Each year I write three lists I call my Summer of Intentionality. I totally stole this idea from Rosie. She explains the background of this awesome tradition here. If you have older kids definitely go read the background post because you can get them started on their own Summers of Intentionality and never hear how they are bored again.

I started making Summer of Intentionality lists when I was still a classroom teacher because I found nothing feels worse than getting to the end of summer break and having nothing to show for it, except a lot of time having fallen down internet rabbit holes.

Spending my time in an intentional way helps me not only to be more productive than I ever thought possible, but puts fun and personal development right at the forefront of my life.

Plus who doesn’t want a To Do list full of things you actually want to do?

Without further ado, I present: The Summer of Intentionality aka How To Make the Most of Your Summer

2015 Summer of Intentionality

To Read:

Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach

The Power of Receiving by Amanda Owen

True Refuge by Tara Brach

The Desire Map by Danielle LaPorte

Playing Big by Tara Mohr

Fat Girl Walking by Brittany Gibbons

The Bright Side of Disaster: a novel by Katherine Center

Everyone is Beautiful: a novel by Katherine Center

Get Lucky: a novel by Katherine Center

The Lost Husband: a novel by Katherine Center

Editor’s note: I read a lot. I get my books from the library. I make time several times a day to read for a few minutes. I get most of my reading done in 15 minute increments. Yes, I schedule my reading time because if I didn’t, even though it is my absolute favorite thing to do and has been my favorite hobby since I was a young child, I wouldn’t do it.

To Learn:

Website redo.

Strength train (want to join me?)

To Do List of AWESOME:

Eat breakfast outside

Read in the hammock

Bake a pie

Make coconut milk ice cream

Picnic dinner in the park with other families

See Rhett Miller and Old97s

Stand up paddle boarding

Visit Bay Area grandparents

Visit Minnesota grandparents

Visit Mendocino County grandparents

Tahoe with college friends (x 2)

Hike in San Francisco

Hike in Oakland

Marin Headlands

Take a photo on or near the Golden Gate Bridge

Visit at least one new to me Bay Area beach

Beach days at Stinson

Ride steam train in Tilden Park

Grief Retreat in Portland (yes, a grief retreat…more on that later)

Hug huge redwood trees to celebrate our 20th anniversary

Take a restorative yoga class (or five) at It’s All Yoga.

What about you, friend? Want to have a summer of intentionality?

With lots of self-kindness and love,

Tami xox

PS – If something in this (or any post) resonates with you and you think someone you know might like it too, please forward it to a friend.

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Other posts you might enjoy:

Summer of Intentionality of the past

M inimalist Parenting (good ideas – NOT just for parents!)

People Say the Nicest Things

Dear Friend,

Recently I shared the two key components for living through loss – read about it here. {No, really please go read that post now. This information is for NOW not later.}.

Three months into the loss of my mom and I’ve found some resources that have helped me tremendously. The crazy thing about losing someone you love is that each loss is super personal – what helps one person, doesn’t help someone else.

As someone who doesn’t practice any organized religion, I was happy to find these practical and spiritual resources to help me through the first few months.

Here’s a list of what has really helped me the last few months:

Books I loved:

The Five Ways We Grieve by Susan Berger. I devoured this in the days following my mom’s death. I am an information seeker by nature and this book comforted my classifying and categorizing brain like no other.

Broken Open: How Difficult TImes Can Help Us Grow by Elizabeth Lesser. Either we stay stuck in not wanting anything to change (like that is even possible) or we really let ourselves get down with our pain in order to let it change us. I love this book so much I want to marry it.

The Power of Receiving: A Revolutionary Approach to Giving Yourself the Life You Want and Deserve by Amanda Owen – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Grief is hard work and is best not done alone. It is so hard to accept help when we need it. This book can help.

Books I Haven’t Finished Yet But Came to Me HIGHLY Recommended and Will BE Finished By :

Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach

True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart also by Tara Brach

In person support group

Here in Sacramento we are lucky to have free and religion-free drop in grief support. Check for hospice or grief resources in your area if you think you might want some support. — I am a fairly private introverted person, so I was surprised by how much I wanted to attend a support group.

Just 12 days after my mom died, I went to my first session. I was extremely comforted by being in the company of others who had also experienced loss. For the first few months, I only wanted to talk to people who had experienced loss. I plan to keep attending drop in sessions and I may also go to a parent loss group as well.

Most Helpful BLOG in the entire world:

What’s Your Grief 101 – helpful posts include:

and about a gazillion more helpful posts (where you don’t find out you are crazy, just grieving…)

What’s Your Grief Podcast – grief support for those who want to listen

People, I am a READER. Sometimes it is way easier to listen instead of reading because you are simply too tired to be bothered to read. Did I mention how exhausting grief can be?

Which brings me to the self-care piece of grief.

Holy cow, grieving people, SLEEP.
Nap.
And sleep some more.

Also practice calming things like meditation and restorative yoga.

Grief is hard work and you don’t have to do it alone. .