balance Archives - The Ten Thousand Hour Mama

Doing good every day in January: What I learned

February 1, 2017February 1, 2017catherinemryan

As you might recall, my New Year’s resolution was to do something good every day. In January, I just about succeeded at that. I missed a day here and there, but overall, I made progress on my resolution. In January, I helped build the world I believe in.

It hasn’t been entirely easy, and every day I fight against feeling overwhelmed. But I remember Mark Bezos’s quote and push myself to make someone else’s life better, even in a small way.

“It’s so easy to dismiss the opportunity to do something good because you’re hoping to do something great.

Don’t wait. If you have something to give, give it now.”

—Mark Bezos, Ted Radio Hour, Giving It Away

Here’s what I learned by doing good every day in January. Read more →

Life > Blog

September 14, 2015March 22, 2017catherinemryan

Long time no see, Blog.

I’ve been taking a break from blogging since Kiwi was born. Well, duh, you might think. I do, after all, have an eight-week-old and toddler to take care of, plus a husband to occasionally talk with, plus a full-time job writing. (Cleaning and cooking have completely fallen by the wayside, too. Our house is a constant disaster.)

My hiatus is perhaps to be expected, but that doesn’t mean I like it.

I like this blog. I enjoy writing it, sharing it, connecting with other people and building a community of other bloggers and readers. It doesn’t bring in a cent and probably isn’t advancing my career in any way, but it has become something that’s important to me.

As moms, it’s easy to let go of the things we enjoy—but that don’t tangibly contribute— especially in the hazy first months of a baby’s life. But we shouldn’t.

Even though this blog centers around my family, it’s for me. I am a writer, and writers write. Sure, right now I’m writing and editing full-time, but this is fulfilling in a different way. I get to say what’s in my heart (or in my sleep-deprived mind, at least).

At some point, I’ll come back from my break from blogging and regain some of the balance that’s missing. In the meantime, I haven’t completely forgotten about my tiny corner of the internet. I’ll be back.

Babyproofing: Week one

February 27, 2014catherinemryan

It has been a week since I decided to tackle the disaster that is our apartment. In the interest of creating a safer and saner home, I’ve dedicated time every day toward picking up, putting away, throwing out and clearing off.

I’m proud of myself. The dishes have been done and everything looks tidier—kind of like my mom has stayed for the entire week. (I’m joking, but not.)

I feel a little more comfortable with Edie’s crawling, too. I still have to keep a close eye on her—her all-time favorite thing to do is sprint toward the dog bowls—but I don’t have to worry about her zapping a finger off anymore.

On the other hand, all this cleaning and wiping and purging is taking time away from other things. I have been working on my writing and freelancing less this week. There are a finite number of hours in the day, and something’s gotta give.