What if I could offer you the world? It sounds like some marketing gimmick!  But let's just play along for a moment.  What if you sat back and thought about it. What if there was a genie in a bottle. What would you ask for more of in your life?  More time with family? More money? More peace in your daily life? More sense of purpose? More rest?  Less stress? Less feelings of inadequacy?  Less juggling?

While I can't simply give those things to you, through life coaching we can take the first step of finding out what those things are that you would like changed and why. So many people just can't quite put their finger on what feels off or what they can do about it.  They are following someone else's template for success and happiness that is not their own!  Or maybe they know what they want but they just need help getting out of their own way!  They know there is something else they want or need but are unsure of what it is or how to get it.

This leads us into the 2nd step of clarifying how we can make changes in our life that fit us! We can work though how to make those changes in manageable and positive ways.  And we can continue that conversation and continue on that path in a supported way with an ally who is non-judgemental and supportive in finding solutions that work for you!  We all need someone in our corner.  We all need that support from time to time.  I'd be happy to be that person for you!  What changes would bring you joy, peace, and satisfaction in your life?

I don't know that I have ever met a person who said they LOVED meal planning and making meals all the time!  Let's be honest things slip as priorities change day to day! But two things I do know are that having a few "fast" food meal ideas in your apron pocket and having a meal planning system can make the whole process more bareable! From time to time I'd like to share some of these "fast" foods with you!

We call this one the Sub Salad! There is nothing quicker and more versatile!  And the great thing is that your kids can make it for you with a bit of instruction.

1. LETTUCE - Take the base lettuce of your choosing. We use Romaine!  Chop it up and layer  the bottom of a large platter.

2. MEAT OR MEAT ALTERNATIVE - Find whatever meats or meat alternatives that you have on hand. Salami, pepperoni, and leftover bacon are what we had on hand that day. It could be grilled chicken, leftover steak, chickpeas, black beans or whatever else your refrigerator is holding!

3. VEGGIES - Have a some leftover cucumbers or carrots? Thinly slice them and throw them in there!  For this salad we used leftover snow peas chopped up and pepperoncini for that sub sandwich type taste. We also commonly throw some black olives in there!

4.  CHEESE - Our house happens to be dairy free but there are still some great cheeses. We tend to use VioLife brand. This salad has mozzarella and feta!

5. DRESSING - The classic for us is Italian but drizzle on whatever you'd like!

Feast with your eyes first and take it all in! Then divide it up and dig in!

​It can be hard to keep up right now. So many day-to-day decisions that have been altered and that can leave us all feeling a bit disoriented.  Some days I am right there with you! I have not offered up many blog posts since my mother passed earlier this year and because of the craziness of COVID life changes, I was choosing to be more family focused.   As an act of self-care I was choosing to decrease my irons-in-the-fire and focus on my primary Clinical Herbalist work that is keeping me busy. 

But with all the questions and concerns people are having about their kids going back to school on a reduced schedule or possibly choosing to homeschool them, I have decided that this is my forte, this is my area of expertise so to speak.  For this blog post I am going to be bringing a life coach perspective to help you gain your own perspective on the coming school year.

In my opinion, my goal as a parent is to provide my children the best life that I can, while being a contributing member of society and maintaining my own personal needs.  Does that sound like your goals as well?  If so, we will be working from that framework.

If we stop, pause, and breathe we can take a moment to try to get into a proactive rather than reactive position given the challenges ahead of us. I am not going to try to be sunshine and rainbows here as dismissing our reality is not helpful. But I am going to try to keep us thinking of our challenges as not solely negative challenges. So let’s take a step back and get our minds thinking about the school year ahead. This post I am going to focus on those choosing to homeschool. Although those faced with the likely 3-2 schedule may benefit as well.
 
What is your biggest challenge in your mind? I can guess what they might be. Trying to work and homeschool your kids?  Not sure how to keep your kids’ education on track?  Not sure how to facilitate their learning such as choosing the right curriculum?


Trying to work and homeschool your kids? 
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As someone who works a full-time job, I understand this is a challenge. It takes dedication to both your job and your child to make it work. As a coach, I don’t have the answers for you but here are some things we should get thinking about. Is your job flexible in terms of hours you work or location that you work? What are you support structures? As Americans we love to be self-reliant but this is a time for interdependency. Interdependency is a sign of maturity and not weakness. So who is in your network?  Can your partner/spouse, if you have one, flex their schedule? Do you have family that can support your efforts? Do you have neighbors or friends that you can cooperatively support?
Can you afford some paid support? The answers to this question should be a wide brainstorm.
Leave no stone unturned. Radical times demand radical thinking.
 
Now that you have some idea of the people that can support you, then we need to think of what that might look like. Maybe you work allows you to work in the office 3 days a week 10 hour days and 2 days a week from home for 5 hours. Not everyone will be this lucky, not everyone has this type of job, but many do. Workplaces know that if they can be flexible they will need to be this year. So don’t hesitate to reach out and ask them. Now what about those support structures? I have found that a couple focused days of work can make all the difference. Is there a friend that you can swap kids with? Having even one ally like this can reduce your days with your kiddos by half.  These are win/win dynamics for both of you!

Not sure how to keep your kids’ education on track? 

This really depends on your children’s ages. Generally as homeschoolers, many of us feel that younger elementary ages are best served with free play, reading time, and time in nature. Personally I look to some of the Scandinavian countries that don’t focus on formal education until the age of 7 and their children are in no way “behind” academically. For parents of younger kids the benefit is that classroom time is not usually all school time so it doesn’t need to be at home either. There is more oversight needed but it is less intense subjects. Together I’d be more than happy to walk through how to make it work with your learning style. At its most basic a simple morning might mean audiobooks for an hour, math manipulatives or worksheets on the table, followed by free craft time, a pre-arranged “learning center” for slightly older children and free play for younger children while you try to get some work done. Now it is lunch time! If your child is over the age of 5 they can be increasingly tasked with this.  A charcuterie board is EASY and kids love to do it! Afternoon can be free-play or drawing cards for a senior citizens home.
 
For older elementary aged kids there will be a need to focus on some subjects, unless you are choosing to unschool, so you will likely need to carve out some school focused time in either the morning, afternoon, or evening. Choose what works for your kids and you. Let go of traditional ideas of what school must look like. We have historically “done school” about 2-3 hours 3 days a week and my children are now 5th and 7th graders and are in NO WAY behind.
 
To meet your children’s educational needs some parents may want to choose online options that keep their children busy, but with a bit of flow you can make anything work depending on your goals.  For me, I love the time I spend teaching and learning with my kids. It is time I will never get back in our lives so I choose a more hands-on approach to learning.  A dedicated couple hours a day is more than sufficient when you have "teacher" to student ratios like you do in a home environment.
 
For junior high and high school learners there is the challenge that the subjects are harder to teach and they need more regimented learning time, but the upshot is that they can also be very self-directed learners at that stage.  If our goal is to teach our kids life skills then learning how to plan their day and their time might be THE most important thing you teach your child.  Invest in a planner that THEY like.  There are online planners that I can recommend as well as basic notebook scheduling where each morning you write down what they are expected to accomplish that day, until they get the idea of how to do that themselves. ​

It is my desire to offer topics of conversation to explore in the group dynamic. Group coaching can be a powerful, positive experience. With this method we gain the wisdom of many, and the support and accountability of a group setting. I hope to see you at this next session!

Living Your Values during the Holidays and in the New Year
What are your personal goals for the upcoming season? Are you taking the time to truly be present? Are you creating meaningful traditions?

Join us for this session where we begin the coaching process to help you discover what changes you would like to make!
December 4th 7:00-8:30 $15
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Life Agenda Mapping
Kate Bodmann, Certified Health and Holistic Wellness Coach
What do you want MORE of in your life? 
Are you living the life that you want to be living?
Are there changes you would like to make?
Join us for this FREE session where we begin the coaching process to help you discover what changes you would like to make!

Many of us struggle to say “no” in our lives.  There are so many thinks we want to do, we are supposed to do, and we need to do.  I personally struggle with this like everyone else.  Since my practice comes from the appreciative model of coaching, we try to focus on the positive and what we want MORE of in our lives.  Well how do we get MORE when we are already full?
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First, personally, I no longer say, “Yes!” to events, projects, or requests that I know that I won’t enjoy or are not fulfilling for me.  It is easy to fall into the martyr role or the victim/rescuer/persecutor triangle.  If I really look at why I am spending time on an activity and it is as one these roles then I am not living my best, most balanced life with good boundaries. I will share more about this drama triangle on another post but here is a quick example.  If I have a volunteer opportunity that I know I’d be good at, and they need my skills or help, and they might not survive without me; then I am falling into the rescuer role and may end up feeling the victim as if I had no choice but to volunteer.  If choose to do it because I want to or will be fulfilled by the roll then it that is good way to possibly spend my time.  But it isn’t a healthy dynamic for myself (and the group) if I was guilted or pressured into it.  This can be a difficult exercise but one worth doing.  Once we have looked at our motivations and we have considered weeding out those commitments that no longer seem to fit us, then we come to the question of, what do we want more of!? 

Here is my tip for you!  Don’t think of it is as saying, “No.”  Think of it as saying, “Yes!”  Over the years I have learned a lot about myself, and you have learned a lot about yourself, which is why in my health practice we say, “You are the expert on You!”  One thing I know about myself is that my love language is quality time.  In our busy, high-paced life, time is at a premium so how do I get my quality time?  For me knowing that about myself helps me see the Yes/No dilemma in a different way.  When I say, “No” to getting together with a professional group I enjoy, I am saying, “Yes” to an evening spent with my family or an evening of much needed downtime!  Can you see situations in your life where saying, “No” is actually saying “Yes?”

Now the scenarios I shared might be different than yours, but I am guessing some of you might resonate with the similar challenges.  Some of you might not be sure how you truly want to spend your time?  If you are unsure, I would be happy to go through a values alignment exercise with you as part of your health coaching journey.  Or if you are needing help deciding what you want MORE of and how to make changes in your life to get it, reach out and set up a Get to Know You free consultation so that we can Get Started!
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You can also join me for a free Agenda Mapping Session on October 10th to begin to map the changes you want for your life!