BREAKING NEWS... or you know, an update

How's about just a general update to start of with? (The breaking news is coming, I promise)

I don't do this very often.  Maybe I should?  I don't know.

What I do know is that while I love to write, like LOVE to write, if I am not "in the flow" than I might as well not even bother.  Seriously, I could sit here all day, looking at the screen, clicking in and out of Facebook and random searches on the internet only to have absolutely nothing to show for it.

In contrast, some days the words just come pouring out of me.  When I am in the flow, writing is truly effortless.  For example, I wrote an article on the plane while en route to a family vacation in Arizona.  Now, it needs to be said that this is not exactly an atmosphere conducive to writing.  Chephren was sitting next to me, wiggling, fidgeting, squirming, snacking, drinking, bathroom-ing as most four year olds do when asked to sit still for 3 hours.  And yet, in between all of those distraction, out came the article.

When I got here I decided to submit it to Elephant Journal...something that I have long told myself I would do.

A week later?  Ta-Da!  Published.  (You can read it here).

What a beautiful and fun creative process.

Today?  Not happening.  Sorry.

So, instead, I am going to post some pics on here.  From our vacation.  How very mommy-blog of me.

Those are coming up soon, but for now, I should also tell you that I am going to be taking down this blog.  

You heard me, MareBare Necessities will soon be no more. 

Don't worry, don't worry.  I am going to still be blogging.  But I am going to be publishing from a new site:  www.marenhasse.com

In the coming weeks, I will be reflecting here on the MareBare Journey, sharing some highlights, and setting the stage for what is to come.

Let's hope that I am gifted with some flow to make it happen!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy these pics from the desert...

xoxo M.

Vortexes, magic and miracles

I spent last week in the Phoenix area.  My dad and stepmom have a house in Goodyear and we are super fortunate (and extremely grateful) to be able to use it during the winter months.  I know what you are thinking... more holidays?  Really Maren, REALLY?  I hear you, but let me put it to you this way:

A beautiful house to go to + a car to drive + a short three-hour flight = an offer we can't refuse...

You do the math.

We are not alone in our 'quest' to shorten up the loooong Canadian winter, as we had a multitude of friends/family in the area as well.  In fact, I learned that almost 600,000 Canadians spend their winters in the PHX area -- the 'snowbirds' if you will.  While I am not a snowbird (yet), I can truly understand what the draw down to the desert is!

Anyhow, as part of our vacation Trent got the brilliant idea that myself and 'the girls' should go to Sedona for a girls night.  He even found us a deal on Travelzoo for a night's accommodation/spa treatment/breakfast and a yoga class.  Do I need to do another math equation to illustrate for you why this was also a no-brainer?!  No, I didn't think so. 

Our trip to Sedona proved to be lovely.  Much, much better than I expected even.  The hotel was absolutely beautiful and very luxurious.  The spa even more so.  Our meals were all fantastic and we really enjoyed our 'girl time'.  We spent a lot of time giggling but also a lot of time discussing those 'big questions'... we were in Sedona afterall...

My beautiful travel companions: my mom Dianne, Gail and Darcie

While we didn't come up with any of the 'big answers', I would say that it was an enlightening trip for all of us: full of magic and miracles.  If you have never been to Sedona and you ever get the chance, go.  It will inspire you, it will mesmerize you and it might even change you... for the better. 

Hell, look what it did for my vertical jump:

No, that is not an illusion.  That is really me on the left... IN THE AIR!

See?  Miracles do happen.  That, or I was standing in a vortex.  Either way, it was MAGICAL!

Marebare  xoxo

Groundhog Day

I have been trying to formulate this post in my head for over a week now, and it is ironic that it happens to be coming to fruition on Groundhog Day.  You see, I spent last week in Mexico.  We went there for the wedding of some dear friends of ours and our group (42 of us) stayed at an all-inclusive in Nuevo Vallarta.

The Happy Couple

First of all, let me just say that the wedding was fantastic, absolutely beautiful.  The bride and groom are so perfect for one another and deserve all of the happiness in the world.  It was definitely one of those weddings where you 'just know' that it's the real deal.  It also brought up a lot of happy memories for me, as Trent and I got married (almost 8 years ago!) at an all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica.  Given that the past year has been a bit of a tricky one for us (there is merit in the '7 year curse', I swear!), it was a great time for us to remember our wedding day and to re-affirm our commitment to one another.  We left Chephren at home with my parents, so it really was a nice trip for us to reconnect.

Our wedding in Costa Rica: March 2004

Now, with all of that being said, did staying in an all-inclusive resort ever PUSH MY BUTTONS!!!!  The irony of this fact is not beyond me and I spent a lot of time reflecting on the fact that Trent and I also chose an all-inclusive resort for our wedding.  We had 30 people along for the ride which made us feel so very grateful and honored and it was a really, really fun week.  It helped that we finished off the trip with a 3-month long honeymoon travelling in Central America.  It was definitely a trip that I will never forget.   

Happy in Honduras

The funny thing is, I can't put my finger on what exactly bugged me about our resort experience.  It was a very nice resort; very clean, nice amenities, great view of the ocean from our balcony (we saw dophins!), nice beach and a great group of people.  And while I did enjoy parts of the trip (especially the company), I couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right.  To be honest, I am still trying to work it out in my head.  Here are some theories:

Our room

1. Guilt.  Guilt.  Guilt.  Over what?  Well, the list is long, but here are some of the things on my list:

• The tremendous disparity of wealth between us and the workers at the resort (I made a point to talk to a lot of them and find out their stories - how much they made, who they were supporting, where they lived, etc.  I was reassured by many, many Mexicans that working at the resort was considered a good job). 
• Travelling without Chephren (okay, I don't think that is it... It is my belief that a week away for mom and dad is more than okay and even healthy for the marriage).  Plus, he was with his Grammy and his Grampy and I am pretty sure that he likes them more than us anyways.
• Excess (too many drinks, too much food, and oh, did I say too much DRINKING?!)  You feel guilty if you don't eat/drink yourself silly... after all, you paid for it, right?  This kind of mentality made both Trent and I crazy.  I feel the same way about buffets... they create all kinds of unhealthy eating habits and behaviors.  Actually, this reminds me of going to a buffet with a good friend of mine long ago.  He was determined to 'get his money's worth' and therefore made it his mission to not only eat as much as he could -- but also to eat only the most expensive things at the buffet.  Dude polished off about 30 crab legs... There really is such a thing as too much of a good thing!!!

2. My second theory is that it has something to do with the fact that I was yearning for a 'real' adventure.  I say this because Trent and I invested a lot of time and energy trying to figure out how to get off the resort.  We wanted to ride the local buses, eat at some sketchy restaurants and check out some of the cool little surf towns in the area.  We did do some exploring of the area, and other than the wedding, I would have to say that these were my favorite experiences of the trip.  Trent and I did our fair share of travelling before we had Chephren (okay, let's be honest, it was more like 'dirtbagging' than travelling) and there is a huge part of me that is craving this lifestyle again.  I love the uncertainty and the challenges associated with this lifestyle and we gave it all up to have a family.  The question we were asking ourselves in Mexico was: was that really necessary?  There are families out there who are managing to maintain the dirtbagging lifestyle even with small children.  Either way, it was good to get us talking about it and has helped us to identify how much we miss our 'old life'. 

3. Finally, and this is kind of related to the 2nd reason, the resort ended up feeling like 'Groundhog Day' to me (the Bill Murray movie I mean).  Not at first, but by day three you are thinking, really?  Again?  The same food, the same faces, the same activities, the same, same, same.  As an adult living with ADD, Groundhog Day is something that gives me nightmares...

So, that's it then.  I wish that I could leave you with some glowing nugget of wisdom or some heart warming realization that I have come to.  I am sure that it will eventually lead to this kind of epiphany, but I'm not there yet.  And since it's Groundhog Day (for real), I thought maybe I would throw it out to the Universe to deal with.  Anyone have any brilliant insights?

May your days be filled with peace, love and VARIETY!

xoxo

Marebare

Days 14 - 24 (December 23 - Jan 1)

In the last week, Trent and I not only celebrated Christmas with all of our families and joined the masses in the overindulgence of food, drink and *stuff*, we actually managed to move.  Yes, you heard me right... I said move.  We have been in the process for a few weeks now, but on Boxing Day (Dec 26th), we made it official and moved all of the 'big stuff' - making it possible for us to stay in our new-to-us house for the first time.  I can hear you laughing about that from here... and yes, I know we are crazy.

Despite the move, and all of the Christmas/New Years insanity, I still managed to spend some time each and every day reflecting on the gifts that I was receiving.  After all 'tis the season of giving, which means that it was extra easy to receive.  Before I launch into 'the list' (I will try to be brief, I promise), I just wanted to reflect briefly on the idea of receiving in general.  What I have come to realize (through this project and through some other literature that I have been reading), is that the act of receiving gifts from someone (or the Universe) is as important as the act of giving them.  This might sound obvious to you, but I had never thought of it that way before.  A lot of people are uncomfortable with receiving gifts, my (previous) self included, and will actually reject them.  Bear in mind that when I am talking about 'gifts' I am talking in a general sense - sure tangible gifts count, but think about things like compliments, acts of service, or even LOVE.  Oddly enough, some of those people who cannot bring themselves to authentically receive gifts of any kind are the same people who are so darn good at giving gifts themselves.  You see, receiving involves being vulnerable, in that you are willing to show the giver your soft underbelly -- true gratitude.  A lot of people really struggle with this and for a variety of reasons.  For me, looking back, I think that part of the problem was a self-worth issue -- I didn't feel worthy/deserving of receiving.  Now that I can see the situation a bit more clearly, I can see how hurtful it would be to a giver if I couldn't authentically receive the gift they were giving me (for me, compliments really come to mind, as do acts of service).  A gift that isn't authentically received isn't much of a gift at all now is it?

Anyway, it is early in the New Year (it's 2012!) and my brain already hurts from all of the evolving it has been up to, so without further ado, here is my list of gifts from the past 10 days or so:

Day 14: My friend Jill brought her two girls over and helped me pack up and move most of my kitchen.  Talk about making an unpleasant experience a fun one.  Thank you Jill for this extremely kind and generous act of service!

Day 15: Time with some of my best friends: J and Jody - they had just gotten back from their 3 month honeymoon in Nepal/Thailand and it was the first time that I had seen them.  So happy that they are home safe and that they had an amazing time.  They also brought me some truly amazing gifts and I am already treasuring them dearly!

Day 16: Christmas Eve.  We actually went around the table before dinner on this night and shared what we were grateful for this year.  It was amazing and I am grateful for the fact that my family is so in touch with gratitude and the importance of it.  I myself was grateful for this new tradition, for the amazing food we had prepared (Indian food - YUM!), for my brother Erik's new-found health/sobriety and for the chance to come together as a family and celebrate being together.  It was RAD.

Day 17: Christmas Day.  Best gifts of the day?  Watching my son see with HUGE eyes that Santa had eaten all of the cookies and milk (I know, Santa is kind of lame, but I love the magic that he creates for kids), watching my parents open a gift that my husband had made: all.by.himself.!!!!!!  (So, so COOL!) And last but certainly not least, my mom writes us each a Christmas letter every year and I simply adore them.  I mount them on my fridge where I can see them every day for the entire year.  She is/ they are amazing!

Trent's Masterpiece

Day 18: Boxing day, aka moving day.  I moved into a new house today - do gifts get much bigger than that?  This was especially huge for me because it signifies a new beginning for me and for our family.  I went through some tough times out on the farm (which have somehow become associated with living out there - depression/isolation, etc.), so moving 'into town' has been a huge step for me.  Thank you Universe for helping me manifest this move and for helping me to receive this huge, huge gift.

Day 19: This is going to sound ridiculous, but my gift for today was getting up first thing in the morning, realizing that we were out of coffee, running to the store to get it.... and being back in 10 minutes.  I cannot tell you how stoked I am about the significant reduction in driving.  Again, so, so grateful for our move.

Day 20: Many hands make light work.  I'll bet that you were wondering how the heck we managed to move on Boxing Day and who the heck helped us.  Well, you see, I have the best parents in the world (I believe that I may have mentioned that before) -- and they were here for the entire day, giving up their holidays to help us move.  Today we returned the favor and helped them finish the process of moving out of their house at the farm: cleaning, hauling, packing.  More fun for the McHasses (our combined nickname!)... actually, it was fun and I am so grateful that we have had so much help and support.  Many hands truly do make light work.  I will say it again (if I have to): communal living ROCKS! (By the way, they now live about 1.5 miles North of us -- not next door, but pretty close!)

Day 21: After all that hard work, it was time to celebrate.  We had some great friends over tonight: Mark, Megan-Joy and Catherine, and we ate great food, drank wine and played games.  It was super fun and just what we needed (and more!) after such a loooong week of moving!

Day 22: More family and friends.  Today we spent some time with Trent's mom, sister and her family.  It was so great to watch Chephren play with his cousins!  Then, in the evening, we had more friends for dinner, Bridget, Richard and their son Brady.  Chephren is really starting to get 'friendship' and proceeded to prepare his toys for sharing before Brady arrived and then played really well with him.  This is no small feat for a little guy (sharing is hard) and it is awesome to see it happen!

Day 23: New Years Eve.  What a peaceful way to bring in the New Year.  Our friends J and Jody stayed with us and we had my family for dinner.  J, Jody, Trent and I quietly brought in the New Year snuggled on the couch in front of the fire, visiting and watching a movie.  It was perfect!

Day 24: New Years Day.  I managed to steal a few minutes to myself today to reflect on and be grateful for the past year as well as to set my intentions for the year 2012.  Today is probably one of my favorite days of the year.  I love the opportunity for reflection and the anticipation of the year to come.  2012 is the year of the Dragon (TRANSFORMATION) - may we all be transformed into better versions of ourselves filled with light and love!  And may we all be open and ready to receive each and every day!!!!

Happy 2012!

Marebare xoxo

All good things must come to an end...

One of the biggest challenges of 'living with less' has been cutting back on travelling.  Last year, I took 11 holidays (yes 11... after all, my little guy could still travel for free, so I was practically making money, right?).  So, besides our summer in the bush (NOT a holiday, trust me), we hadn't taken a single trip this year, until now.  If you haven't been following me on Twitter (with the exception of two people, no one is, so I know you're not), you might not know that we (the man, the boy and I) spent the past week in Phoenix.  Why Phoenix you say?  Well, simply, we lucked out and had a free place to stay... plus, Cheph could still fly for free b/c he wasn't yet two... on one of the flights anyways.  So, again, I am going with the argument that we practically made money on this trip.  We have had an awesome time staying at my dad/stepmom's place (which is luxury at its finest) and took in the best sights that Phoenix had to offer for a family of three.  We took Cheph to the zoo for his 2nd birthday, went to visit Trent's mom who is down here too, had a friend in from Tucson, had my mom come for a visit, had some more Canadian friends in from Palm Springs, went to a kiddie amusement park and last but certainly not least we hit the Children's Museum in Phoenix (which, let it be said, is NOT to be missed... even if you aren't yet parents).

Here are some photo highlights of the trip...



Baby Gibbon



Parrots enjoying the sun

Cheph's favorite - the carousel

Who could say no to those eyes?



Lion fish!



Have you ever seen someone so ramped up about bubbles?

Gymnastics lesson in Phoenix!



Another carousel ride... really not hard to make this kid happy!



Children's museum, part of the huge climber structure



Upcycled decorations (ok, art)



More upcycling, these are drums

We have really had a great (and inexpensive) trip to the desert... but, all good things must come to an end and we head home tomorrow.  Back to the land of the deep freeze.  Goodbye shorts and tanktops, I will miss you.

Yours remotely,

Marebare