Everyone gets [...]]]> For a mom, there is no shame in getting away from your family and day-to-day obligations once in a while. They just might need a break from you too. It’s been a long time since I found the opportunity to do so. Last time I tried, didn’t work out as intended.

Everyone gets a little break in the routine when Mommy goes away. The girlies get a break from mommy’s impatient demands… Ian gets a break from all of Mommy’s tossing and turning at night…

This girls’ long weekend to New York has been in the works for far too long, and was indeed much needed. Finding a friend to travel with can be tricky, but luckily we have had other opportunities for shorter road trips (to/from races overnight) before and knew we could travel well together.

We headed out taking the longer more economical route via Toronto. It gave us a chance to catch up and enjoy the hockey team lunch at the airport bar. After uneventful flights and a short train ride across the river, we found ourselves walking through Times Square on our way to our home away from home.

How lucky were we! We were spoiled rotten by our host with Broadway tickets all four nights of the visit, and fantastic “New York style barbecue” everyday at a different restaurant.

From February 14, 2012

During the day there were sites to be seen and adventures to behold!

Spiderman – Turn off the Dark was truly a spectacular show; Mamma Mia! Was so much fun;

From February 14, 2012

and Rock of Ages was funny and brought you back in time with great music.

A big Off-Broadway show that we were lucky to see is very quirky and hugely popular: Fuerza Bruta.

From February 14, 2012

Now, be assured, family at home were not forgotten, souvenir gifts and photos of things they would love to see in the Big Apple were captured for all.

Some favourite sites included: Central Park,

From February 14, 2012

Times Square,

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Grand Central, New York Public Library, Brooklyn Bridge

From February 14, 2012

and Lady Liberty.

From February 14, 2012

One of the most memorable was of course the 9/11 memorial site.

From February 14, 2012

All told Mommy enjoyed the break away, and looks forward to more time to herself in the near future! Perhaps even running under the palm trees of Palmetto, Florida!

I like filing online. Do you file through an accountant, or another tax filing agency?

*Disclaimer the above link is an affiliate link.

People don’t always believe me when I say it, but it’s true. I am about 20 lbs/9 kg over [...]]]> Do you have those days when you wish you were your former self in some way? 5 years ago, and 20 lbs lighter a guy once commented on how lean I was. Ya, that kind of wish.

People don’t always believe me when I say it, but it’s true. I am about 20 lbs/9 kg over my optimal weight. Of course once I give the actual weight a number, then it seems plausible. I weigh 80kg/176lbs. I am 5′10” and my weight seems pretty evenly dispersed which is likely why I don’t appear to have any weight to lose.

At the time that I met this guy, I was physically fit, better than I had been in a decade, but I was also coming off of a very negative split with my ex-husband during which time I threw myself into training for a half-marathon for the first time ever … as a way of coping with my stress. The stress effects my appetite and I likely also lost some of the extra weight I’d been carrying around simply because I wasn’t eating well, and because that’s what my body seems to do when I’m stressed.

Since my pain has gotten worse and my stresses have increased again I haven’t been very active. While I’d like to be that 20-lb-lighter-self, what I really want is to be that trained-for-a-half-marathon-self.

This goal is part of my one year plan. Feeling vibrant and healthy again! Training for events that motivate me. And let’s face it, having an attractive man I don’t really know tell me how lean I am wouldn’t be the worst thing either.

Do you have a plan? I’d love to hear about your goals!

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

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Our book club is reading The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay this month. I downloaded it to my e-reader on my tablet for the ability to read on the bus, at the dr.’s office, etc. It was a surprisingly light read for the topic. I [...]]]> Today I completed book number 5 of the 50 book pledge!

Our book club is reading The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay this month. I downloaded it to my e-reader on my tablet for the ability to read on the bus, at the dr.’s office, etc. It was a surprisingly light read for the topic. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for our discussion at book club!

I have her first book The Birth House, just waiting on my bookshelf, received for Christmas too!

*Please visit her Giving Page to make a donation

At eight and ten years my children are extraordinarily compassionate for their ages.

Our household has supported a lot of campaigns at their wish. When the fundraising info is distributed at school they take the issues at heart very seriously. We have and continue to participate in raising funds [...]]]>

*Please visit her Giving Page to make a donation

At eight and ten years my children are extraordinarily compassionate for their ages.

Our household has supported a lot of campaigns at their wish. When the fundraising info is distributed at school they take the issues at heart very seriously. We have and continue to participate in raising funds for Terry Fox Foundation, UNICEF, and the food banks. They have completely jumped on my bandwagon with Team Diabetes in their Auntie’s honor. And now, my youngest has another campaign that she is very passionate about.

For more than two years she has been growing her hair to donate for a wig for someone who has cancer. When her Nanny passed away two months ago she became all the more determined that she do so. Her hair is long enough for the donation and so she has decided to use this opportunity to raise funds for an organization that helps women with cancer.

Her Nanny did not live long enough after her diagnosis to benefit from such a great organization, but Payten believes they do wonderful things for those going through such difficult times. She has arranged with the Look Good Feel Better campaign (CCTFA Foundation) to fundraise on their behalf in my mom Dawn McCourt’s memory. You can learn more about them at their webpage.

Payten’s hair will be donated to Tamara Wig, another campaign of the CCTFA Foundation, after she meets her minimum goal of $500.

I think she is capable of raising much more, and I hope you’ll help me show her!

Please visit her Giving Page to make a donation, and please share this message with as many people as you can. Help my 8-year-old fulfill her dream in her Nanny’s memory!

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

If you enjoyed this post, please do like/share it. You can do so using the easy share button below!

My core values for my life [Joy Equation]

For those who don’t know me outside of this little blogosphere, and for some who do, you may not realize that I have been off work, since before my mother’s passing, on sickness leave. I have a [...]]]> I want to provide a little update on some personal items.

From 2012-01-27

My core values for my life [Joy Equation]

For those who don’t know me outside of this little blogosphere, and for some who do, you may not realize that I have been off work, since before my mother’s passing, on sickness leave. I have a chronic pain condition called fibromyalgia. I blogged about it here before, but the general idea is that it’s a disease effecting soft tissue that causes moderate to debilitating pain, depending on many factors. Stress is a huge trigger for pain flare-ups, and things only got worse before they started to get better. It’s been a real battle for me over the past year.

I’ve been working hard at a number of things that I hope will help me get back to a healthy state of being. Most of these activities are things anyone could and likely should do to simply live a better life without regret. Mom taught me that this really is the most important thing to keep in mind in life. Will I regret this one day?

So, the main projects I have been working on towards change in my life are getting back into a regular routine of physical activity, trying to find a healthy way of grieving, bringing more joy into my life, appreciating all of the great things that I have in my life, learning new and better ways of being, and making small accomplishments towards bigger achievements. I’m trying to live each day like it’s my last.

We just never do know.

I signed up for a few challenges this year that I hoped would provide me with some motivation. So far it has worked.

The two big things I am accomplishing right now:

I am nearing the end of a successful first month of the 12in12 challenge, for which my goal in January was to walk 30 mins./day.

I have also been taking a class offered by Molly Mahar about bring more joy into your life. I am completing all of the exercises and really loving the introspection involved. I am going to confidently move forward in my life this year making big happy changes!

The biggest change will likely be one I just made official today. I am starting my own business, which will launch in March. As soon as I have a website to share, I’ll pass it along and fill everyone in!

So that’s my 4 week update. I’d love to hear yours!

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

I invite you to subscribe to my blog using one of the options available on my page (email, rss, Google Connect, like my page on Facebook, etc.)

If you enjoyed this post, please do like/share it. You can do so using the easy share button below!

I completed my [...]]]> This year I have taken on a few challenges to help me meet a few of my goals, as I posted previously one of them is the 2012 To Be Read challenge. I am reading 12 books this year that have been on my to be read shelf(ves) for more than a year.

I completed my first one this week! I am so excited. This has also allowed me to complete book number 4 of the 50 book pledge!

Here On Earth by Alice Hoffman was one of Oprah’s picks on her show. I’ve been told of mixed reviews of it, but I truly enjoyed reading this book. There is something a little dark about it that reminded me of Steinbeck’s East of Eden (my all time favourite book). The portrayal of domestic violence/woman abuse was pretty eye-opening for those who may not have thought about it much. Without giving the story away, I felt the ending was appropriate in that this could have gone on and on, if she wanted it to mirror real life scenarios (where women leave (and return) an abusive relationship an average of 7 times before leaving for good).

A fairly quick read of a dark romance.