Will You Join the Grooving Mums Blog Hop?

It is 7 weeks since I wrote a blog post about how mums might want to join a blog hop about getting a sense of self back. Since then, ordinary mums have joined in and bravely shared their personal journeys of revival, their quest for the “me” in the business of life and their strategies for how to get through those difficult days.

Here is where I currently am in this journey.

1. I have pre-menstrual tension so it is taking every iota of my commitment to #groovingmums to do this post. However, I feel it is really important to focus on how we are changing even on the days where we are struggling a bit. I hate it when I read that mums did not feel able to participate in #groovingmums because they feel there is some standard to be met in terms of great strides made or feeling good. This is real life and we can sometimes help each other most on the worst days.

2. I have now lost just short of 1 and a half stones in just 7 weeks. Isn’t that a coincidence, not? I started the healthy eating plan as I started #groovingmums and I put a lot of the success down to the support of my fellow groovers. You make a huge difference to how I feel about myself and what I think I might be capable of. Yesterday, I was over the moon having lost another 5 pounds but today the PMT is making me feel hopeless, like I will never shift all the weight and so on.

3. I love #groovingmums but again, due to PMT, I am feeling a bit at odds with aspects of it. I hate it when it feels like I have opened a can of worms for mums that is causing them discomfort. I am pleased that people are honest in their posts but I really don’t want to make things harder for people. That was never the intention of this blog hop, quite the opposite in fact. I also don’t know how many ways I can say that individuals can take this journey in their own way, post or not as the case may be, use the badge or not as the case may be and so on. Hey, ladies, I am on your side.

4. I feel a bit scared right now about what this journey might lead to. I keep balking at buying a size 16 top because it is probably 10 years since I was that size. Isn’t that silly? PMT is also making me question attending the very events that I am normally shouting about how excited I am about.

5. Time for some positivity, Kate! I did not exactly dance at a recent event but I did sort of move and shuffle a bit. When my son asked for a spiderman cake, instead of giving into the panic, I rose to the challenge. I am getting out and about more than I was. I get to start my voluntary work at long last on Friday. I have agreed to my Dad’s offer to buy me tickets for the “We Will Rock You” Musical. I love theatre and it is one of those joys that I have denied myself in recent years.

OK, every week, I suggest some challenges that mums might want to take up.

1. What Are The Groundrules? – I know this might not please everyone but I think it would be helpful for me to have a page on the blog that describes #groovingmums so I don’t have to rehash it every week. I also think it would be useful to have some groundrules. I an not talking hugely rigid things but think there are things that it might be helpful to set the scene about how we want #groovingmums to operate. So, your first challenge is to email me your thought and ideas on this to mums-the-word@live.com

2. Embrace the Spirit – This will mean different things to different people so respond in a way that makes sense to you. It might involve revisiting a place of worship, taking part in a religious festival, meditating, looking at which goddess you most identify why or whatever makes sense to you.

3. Body Fun – Do something to your body that you would not normally do. Paint your toe-nails, wear lipstick, colour your hair, wear make-up to take it off for a day if you usually wear it, play around and experiment.

Please do try to share the comment love with other #groovingmums who are all being brave however big or small the steps they are taking. Usual reminder that to see what we are up to on Twitter and other social networks use the hashtag #groovingmums.

If you want to see what sort of mums are taking part so far, check out my post from yesterday which lists some of our mums and links to their stories.

Newbies are always welcome and I am usually a much cheerier soul that today.

If anyone has concerns or questions or to send the link to your relevant blog post, just email me on mums-the-word@live.com