First I'm Superwoman. Later, I'm Supperwoman.

Welcome to the I Love Me! Carnival!

This post was written for inclusion in the I Love Me! Carnival hosted by Amy at Anktangle. This carnival is all about love of self, challenging you to lift yourself up, just for being you.

Please read to the bottom to find a list of submissions from the other carnival participants.

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I run.

I started running 9 years ago as a way to have something in common with Partner-Guy, who is a running phenom, ranking in the top 10 5km racers (in his age group) in Ontario.

But now I run for me.  I run because I am strong.  I am healthy.  I am powerful.  I am in charge of myself.  I run because running makes me into a 20-minute Superwoman.  I am Superwoman to myself.

I don't go far--only 3 to 5 km each time--and I don't go fast--my fastest time is just under 5 minutes for 1km.  But I go as hard as I can and as fast as I can and as far as I can everytime.


Some runners prefer to do a warm-up, then jog for a while and maybe pick up the pace for a few hundred meters before settling back into a jog.

Not me.

I go all out right from the start.  I run so hard that my body seems to run of its own volition.  It's exciting and exhausting, exhilarating and excruciating.  I feel like I'm going to puke and I feel like I could climb Kilimanjaro.  This is what I love about running.


I run when Partner-Guy comes home from work at around 5pm.  When my run is done, and without taking the slightest break to bask in the glow of my post-run high, I become Supperwoman.

I cook.

Yes, Supperwoman cooks every night.  There is never food on our dinner table that was prepared anywhere other than my own kitchen.  No take-out.  No delivery.  No frozen entrees from the grocery store.

You see, Superwoman and Supperwoman are closely related.  They depend on each other for nurturing, inspiration and fortitude.  In the past week, acting as Supperwoman, I've fed myself and my family curry chicken, homemade pizza, jamaican sweet potato stew, BBQ pulled pork, squash soup and honey-garlic ribs.  These meals were in addition to the bread, cookies and muffins that are always homemade.  And of course there's the canned tomato sauce and salsa, as well as the frozen vegetables I took the time to preserve this summer.  We eat well!

Superwoman depends on Supperwoman to keep her at her best.  I love me enough to take care of me by exercising and by eating top quality, healthy foods.  I treat my body with absolute respect and admiration--it birthed four babes, after all--and my body thanks me by giving me strength to do everything that I need to, day after day after day.  Taking care of my body simultaneously ministers to my heart and to my mind, also.  My fuzzy brain clears as I run.  My heart fuels with love as I feed myself with delicious, healthy food.  It's not about dieting or losing weight--it's about being my best self everyday so that my children can grow up with a mother who is always on the top of her game.

I run and I cook.

This is what self-care looks like to me.

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Thank you for reading this post from the I Love Me! Carnival. Please take some time to read the contributions from the other carnival participants:

(This list will be updated by the afternoon of October 28th with all the carnival links.)

• The Art of Being Thoughtful – Becky at Old New Legacy likes that she is mostly thoughtful but wants to become more thoughtful. She shares a story that demonstrates that giving gifts doesn't have to be expensive.
• I love me (and running)! – Sheryl of Little Snowflakes writes about her new love of running and how it has helped her learn to love herself!
• For the Love of Moe – Valerie at Momma in Progress shares her thoughts on a body forever changed, but forever loved.
• Where I Find My Worth – Sarah at Parenting God's Children shares how finding her worth in worldly things always falls short.
• Oh Yeah, I'm Cool – Tree at Mom Grooves shares her very favorite gift and the thing she most wants to pass on to her daughter.
• Loving – Rosemary at Rosmarinus Officinalis talks about some of the things she loves about herself - some easily, and some by choice for the sake of healing.
• caught in a landslide – jaqbuncad of wakey wakey, eggs and bakey! shares a list of reasons why zie loves hir body.
• I Love Me! - A Rampage of Appreciation! – Terri at Child of the Nature Isle stops waiting for anyone else to tell her she is wonderful and goes on a rampage of appreciation for herself!
• Raising Healthy Daughters – In a guest post at Natural Parents Network, Kate Wicker offers tips to pass on a healthy self-image to the young ladies in our care.
• Unexpected Benefits of a Healthy Pregnancy – How does it feel to have a healthy pregnancy? Dionna at Code Name: Mama discovers that making positive choices can be empowering.
• Filling Up Our Watering Cans – Nada at miniMOMist believes that practicing Sabbath is the same as being a gardener who lovingly tends to the flowers in her garden. She needs to fill up her watering can first.
• Better Body by Baby – Jess from Mama 'Roo and Family Too! shares how having her first baby makes her feel even more beautiful and confident about her body than ever before.
• These Breasts Were Made for Nursing – Becoming a mother helped Mandy from Living Peacefully with Children to embrace her womanhood and improve her self image.
• Yeah, I'm Pretty Cool – Amanda at Let's Take the Metro writes about her own self love and how she hopes to foster the same self-respect in her children.
• Who I've Become – The future is bright with That Mama Gretchen who shares her past and present perspective on body image and how she hopes to become a change agent with her daughter.
• Ever-Evolving Me – Joella at Fine and Fair writes to her daughter about her innate drive to continue learning, growing, and evolving.
• I love you for your mind – Lauren at Hobo Mama turns a dubious phrase on its head with a little self-loving slam poetry.
• Stop Think of Love with Your Body – Amy of Peace 4 Parents shares an exercise to gradually transition from hating to loving your body - stretch marks, sags, imperfections, and all.
• I Love Me! – Jenny @ I'm a full-time mummy shares the things that she loves about herself!
• First, I'm Superwoman. Later, I'm Supperwoman – Patti @ Jazzy Mama explains how she loves taking care of her amazing body. It birthed 4 children, after all!
• Baby Strikes A Pose – Emma from Your Fonder Heart writes about her family's decision not to let their 7 month old model, and uses the opportunity to think more deeply about girls (young and old) and how they determine their self-worth.
• Love Your Tree – How do you picture the ways your body and mind change? Amy at Anktangle writes about how trees help her have perspective about her own growth over time.
• Pumpkin Butt – Zoie at TouchstoneZ writes about how birth and pumpkins are the way to accepting her body
• I do love me – Shannon at Pineapples & Artichokes talks about the lessons about loving herself she wants to pass along to her daughter.
• Appreciating Who I Am – Linni at An Unschooling Adventure describes the things she likes about herself and the way she appreciates who she is as a person.
• I love me! : A journey – Christine at African Babies Don't Cry shares her journey on arriving at the point where she can say: I love me!
• My Daughter Doesn't Care So Why Should I? – Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama calls herself on the carpet for the image of self love and beauty she portrays in front of her toddler.
• Finding out who I am – Melissa at Vibrant Wanderings shares an exercise that helped her identify positive qualities she possesses, and how that has helped her learn to love herself.