What Is The Point Of Becoming A Grooving Mum?

Five weeks ago, I started a blog hop called #groovingmums. Several women have generously shared their stories about how they are changing for the better in a way that makes sense to them as individual women. The point of the blog hop is to ensure women carve out a sense of self amongst all the business of parenting and other commitments.

So where are we five weeks on? Have our lives changed for the better? Or has the blog hop just become another hassle in already busy lives? I think it is time for us to reflect and celebrate too I hope.

So this week’s first challenge for #groovingmums is to review where you were and where you are now. Are there benefits to taking part in the blog hop and if there are, what are they? Are there downsides? What have you done differently and what are the results?

As life really is a rollercoaster, many of us have faced setbacks in the last 5 weeks. How have we handled them? It has struck me reading posts that women do tend to blame themselves for setbacks that are outside their control. How daft is that? However, we are as we are so the second challenge this week is to devise some sort of strategy on handling setbacks. I don’t have all the answers but inspirational quotations help me a lot.

Here is one I like today.

“Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom, indeed they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually. It is through the pain of confronting and resolving problems that we learn” – M.Scott Peck

Since starting to get my groove back as I am on this journey too remember, I have ..

1. Celebrated losing a stone in weight in just 7 weeks

2. Started to take exercise from the Wii Fit to long walks

3. Worn dresses for the first time in ages

4. Spoken to people I don’t know

5. Pursued volunteering

6. Run around and played with my children rather than standing on the sidelines watching them

7. Developped a real sense of self-belief

8. Made some lovely cyber friends with #groovingmums

9. Taken time out to read books

10. Said yes to speaking at Britmums Live and to an invitation to a college reunion

I would like to thank all those who have joined in #groovingmums so far and newbies are always welcome.

So this week, try and sum up what #groovingmums means to you, has done for you and what you have added to the party. You all have by the way before any of you start negative self-talk.

I am having problems with the linky this week so please email your links to your blog posts to mums-the-word@live.com and I will add them to this post as they come in.

1. Glasgow_Mummy tells us how looks can be deceiving. http://glasgowmummy.blogspot.com

2. Mammasaver comes up with a novel money-saving and energy-giving idea
http://www.mammasaver.com/1/post/2011/10/getting-your-groove-back-can-tea-actually-be-bad-for-you.html

3. Mishmashmum (her with the totally embarrassing crush on Olly Murs) shares how things are on the up since joining #groovingmums http://mishmashmum.com/2011/10/25/grooving-mums-and-some-reflection-week-5/

4. Rambling Pages tells us of a week where she is struggling. I really appreciate posts like this as they tell it like it is for all of us sometimes. The important bit is to reach out and support each other. http://theramblingpages.blogspot.com/2011/10/finding-your-groove-or-is-that-losing.html

5. Mummy Plum does a really good review of how things are going 5 weeks after this #groovingmums journey started. Oh and there is a lovely pic of an elephant too. http://mummyplum.blogspot.com/2011/10/reflecting-on-my-groove-and-how-to-eat.html?showComment=1319804253968#c4700274232079813647

6. Polly Burns also sensibly describes how we can be very ambitious about for plans when we first start our journey but small steps in the right direction are fine. She also urges us to look after the carer which I think is very good and liberating advice. http://www.caughtwriting.co.uk/?p=147