One of the things that annoy me to no end is when my kids ask me to get them something repeatedly. I am not annoyed by the act itself because I want to give them anything they might need or want but what annoys me is HOW they ask me. 

It goes something like this: “I want a snack, snack, SNACK, SNACK.” In a chant. 

They are too busy chanting to even hear what I've said. I have to bend down to their level and tell them to stop chanting. I ask if they have even heard me, their answer is no. I tell them to ask me kindly, only one time, and to please listen for my answer. 

One day during this scenario, I thought this is probably why I can’t hear from God sometimes. I’m too busy chanting, “Comfort, Comfort, Comfort.” or “Why? Why? WHY?!”

I get too focused on my request that I can’t hear God answer me. He doesn’t yell over my chanting like I sometimes do to my own children. He bends down, cups my face in his hands and asks me, “Do you hear me? Let’s try this again.” He sent Jesus down to us, down to our level. He sees us in our need and answers us but we have to listen. 

His voice is still, small. 

Whenever I catch myself chanting my prayers like my daughters chant snack requests, I force myself to get quiet, to try again. To say my request and then listen for his response. He is always waiting, ready to meet my need for Him. He’s always there when my heart is ready to listen.  Just like He promises in his word.

James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…” 

What reminds you to stop and listen for God’s voice?

My New Year's Reflection

I love the New Year. I love new starts, I enjoy beginnings because they start out so pure, so innocent. It’s beautiful. This makes me a sucker for New Year’s Resolutions. I rarely stick with mine because they always include things like no more soda or lose 20 pounds. Let's be real, I love diet coke and food too much to follow through with that nonsense.

This year I wanted to take a different approach. I am an avid journaler, not just a bullet journaler. I have one where I write down all my feelings and the things I normally would never say out loud. I decided to look through it from all of 2016. I broke it down by month and picked out what I had been learning. Then I looked through all my pictures on Instagram to see what kinds of things my family had been doing the past year and I wrote down our milestones. Once I did that, I looked at my year as a whole and thought through how I wanted to do my life differently. It sounds like a long process but if you like reflecting like me, then it’s very enjoyable and interesting. 

There were some things that I forgot I learned and some things I would rather forget, but reflecting through them all gave me a fresh perspective on how I want to change my heart rather than just make a change in how I look. Based on this exercise I came up with six New Year's Resolutions:

-Be Present in my life. I tend to check out when things get tough or zone out on my phone. I want to make a real effort to bring myself back to what’s going on at the moment. One thing I realized is that I spend a lot of time worrying and that has prevented me from being present.

-Be honest in my relationships. I am a people pleaser, I want everyone to be happy but that usually comes from me not saying what I want or how I feel. It sounds like a selfless thing but it’s not. I’ve realized that its lying and I don't want to lie. I want to be authentic and that means saying how I feel. 

-Do Yoga! I love the meditative exercise that yoga can be and how it brings your body and mind together. It’s a way to relax, which is what I need more of in my life!

-Study the wilderness/desert times of the people in the Bible. I think there is much to be gleaned from them and I want to grasp it as I go through this dry season in my life. I want to stop grumbling and start learning!

-Stop comparing myself to other people. This has been a struggle my whole life and it is really self-defeating, I’m currently brainstorming ways I can combat this…I’ll let you know if I figure out some good ones because this is easier said than done. 

-Be a fun mom! I want to spend more time playing with my kids than worrying about how big of a mess we are making. 

Those are it! I feel excited to work on these things this year. Have you spent time reflecting on 2016? Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions?

Three Tips for Thoughtful Holiday Moments (Plus a Special Treat!)

I have mixed feelings about the Christmas season. I dislike that there is plenty of advertising about finding the perfect gift, making it seem like it’s all about getting and giving stuff. It can get stressful trying to get the actual gatherings of your family members set up. There are all the decorations and the pressure to make your house like Pinterest. It can all be overwhelming. Yet, I love the true meaning behind Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus. I love the special moments and traditions my family does each year. I wish my focus could solely be on the simplicity of Christ and family and delving deeper into those relationships. But how? This is something that I think about every year.  I brainstorm how I can add special little touches to make my family and friends feel loved and like they matter. This is something that can easily get lost in all the hustle and bustle of trying to find the perfect gift or set the perfect table. It takes intentionality. We have to check in with ourselves, to see if we are being a Martha or Mary this Christmas season. Are we busy doing a bunch of things, going to a bunch of events that we aren't taking the time to sit at the feet of our Savior and intentionally engage in great moments with our loved ones? There are a myriad of ways that we can spend our time in this short few weeks and I don't want to miss the opportunity to have precious moments with those I love. 

Here are three tips for adding in those thoughtful touches that will create more precious moments this year:

1. Hand write letters and cards to your loved ones. I know almost everyone sends out holiday greeting cards with pictures of their families, but why not write a personalized note on the back or get some blank Christmas cards? (Target has a ton of cute ones in the dollar spot!) Write out a note about what you love and appreciate about a friend or family member, especially if you don't get to see them very often.

2. Make it a point to talk about what you are thankful for each day. This might be easy to continue if you have been doing something like the Thankful Tree during Thanksgiving. Through all the ads, commercials, and the stacking lists of wants that can come with the Christmas season, it can be easy to forget that we are already blessed with so much. A great time to talk about this is  during your bedtime routine with your kids, we try to do this, it’s not everyday but its a great note to end the day on.  It can help focus their little hearts on all their blessings instead of all the toys that get slammed in their faces during errands and the constant question of what they are asking Santa for Christmas. 

3. Use these handy Que Cards from Of Noble to inspire great conversations during your Christmas gatherings. I busted these out during my Friendsgiving and they were a hit! It’s easy to get stuck in ruts of conversations with people you are familiar with or hard to start conversations with relatives you don’t see very often. Having a guide handy can break up any awkward moments and help you go deeper and discover things that you never knew about your loved ones. During friendsgiving, we found out one friend’s passion for a national ice cream holiday! The questions on the cue cards inspired many great laughs that night. 

I hope these tips inspire you to add a little something special to your Christmas this year. If you try any of them out please let me know! 

AND As a special treat Of Noble is offering my readers a special coupon code for the Que Cards! You are not going to want to have Christmas dinner without these, many great conversations and laughs await you! Use the code SEWZIP to get 25% off your purchase of the Que Cards, this means that you will get both the printable AND the digital version for $7.50!! Run and grab some for your celebrations this year, the code will be available until Midnight on Christmas Eve but don’t wait that long to get them! 

What meaningful things are you going to do this season?

One Easy Way to Focus on Thanksgiving

It’s beginning to look a like Christmas everywhere I go this month! While I absolutely love Christmas (it’s my favorite holiday), I’m not quite ready for it to be here yet. I think there is a temptation once Halloween is over to jump right into the Christmas season. To begin making wish lists, to assess what we don't have and what we want. While I am still planning ahead for all the fun holiday activities, parties, and gifts, I don't want to miss out on this fall season, on the season of Thanksgiving. I wanted to do something to keep my family focused on it, to be grateful for where we are and what we have right now. I thought up a fun way that we can display what we are thankful for and I wanted to share it with you all! 

I present to you the “Thankful Tree!” This is fairly simple project and you probably have all the things you need already in your house.

Whatcha need:

-markers (black & fall colors)

-roll of kraft paper (you can get this at your local dollar store!)

-scissors

-tape

How to put it together:

1. Cut off a piece of the kraft paper, whatever size you want. I made mine 30in by 32in to fit this space in my kitchen.
2. Tape the kraft paper to the wall.
3. Using the black marker, draw a tree outline, leave out the leaves.

Boom! Done, all set up. Now each day you & your family can write on the tree what you are thankful for using the fall colored markers. I had big plans of cutting out leaf shapes or writing on actually leaves, but that just didn't happen. I like how it turned out just writing on the kraft paper, especially in different fall colors! My kids love doing this and my oldest daughter likes to write out the letters for her thankful thought of the day. 

If you try it let me know! How are you trying to remain present in the Thanksgiving season?

How To Use Essential Oils For The Everyday Family, Guest Post from Blissful Intent

Have you ever wanted to use essential oils and can't decide where to start because all of the information is purely overwhelming? Everyone seems to have an opinion on which essential oil company is the best or has the purest oils. You have options for multi-level marketing as well as your standard run of the mill company. You can buy oils online, in stores, and through catalogs. The amount of information seems to be endless and so are the opinions that go along with them. I researched essential oils and their uses for months before deciding to buy. I reached out to friends who I knew used them and got their take on the subject. I asked how they used them and what brand they trusted.

It wasn't until we were well within flu season that I decided to pull the trigger and purchase my first kit. I bought a $150 kit of about 10 oils through a friend. My second daughter was around 5 months old and had recently started daycare. My 5-year-old was prone to illness and asthmatic episodes. It was then that I decided it was now or never. By the time I ordered my oils and they came in the mail both of my girls had come down with a cold. They were suffering from your typical runny nose and coughing symptoms. As soon as the oils were dropped on my doorstep I put the knowledge to the test that I had attained from my months of research.

Since then I have fallen in love with oils and have found numerous ways to use them. Here are a few that I love.

How to use essential oils around the home:

Diffuse

I diffuse an immune boosting and germ fighting blends to build immunity against illnesses spreading around daycare and school. We all know those places are Petri dishes just waiting for someone to lick the water fountain and put the toys in their mouths. When my girls get home in the afternoon I diffuse 3 drops in 100 mL of water for about 30 minutes off and on until the diffuser is empty. I use the guide that came with my diffuser on how much oil to put in the diffuser based on the table for kids. I really like the KidSafe oils you can find out there. We have a small business where we live that sells them and it's easy to just pop in and pick up what I need.

I also diffuse peppermint, eucalyptus, oregano, lavender and lemon on a routine basis. During this time of year, I am very prone to sinus issues so I diffuse peppermint, eucalyptus and oregano in my bedroom at night. Not all together but based on my need. I use oregano to help break down sinus infections and kill the bacteria. One of my friends told me about this little technique. I am happy to say in my opinion I feel the difference when I diffuse the oregano. I use peppermint and eucalyptus to help open up my passageways and allow me to breathe easier.

Another tip I would recommend is to drop a few drops of either oil on a cotton ball and put it in the shower with you. I put mine on a shelf I have that's up and out of the way of the water but allows for the steam to penetrate it. It really helps to open up those sinuses.

I diffuse lavender to calm the kids down and lemon for a deodorizer. I have found that lemon is especially good for getting rid of odors from fried foods. There are many oils that can be used for this purpose but lemon is my favorite. I also use lemon oil to deodorize my trash can. Goodbye, terrible smells! I take a cotton ball and drop several drops on it and throw it in the bottom of my trash can under the trash bag. This helps to keep the odors down that tend to creep out of the can.

There are many different ways to clean around your home with essential oils. If you mix them in a glass bottle they will stay better for longer and give you the best boost in cleaning. You can read here about different methods for cleaning with oils.

I love to use lemon essential oil in my dishwasher to help boost the cleaning cycle. I drop 2 drops in with my soap pod in the dispenser when before I run it. Not only does it help clean the dishes but the heat and steam from the dishwasher amplifies the smell of the essential oil. It's like having a built in diffuser!

When you are shopping for oils you will notice a variety in the selection. You have single oils that can be used for a variety of purposes either mixed or individually. Then you have blends that are a variety of oils already mixed for you. Follow the dilution tables based on the need for your situation or desired result.

Roll on

While in the midst of researching for my new journey into essential oils I learned you could dilute them into roller balls and roll them on. This can help get the oils directly into the body but at a safe level. I wanted to be able to fight off illnesses, help my babies sleep better (hello 4-month sleep regression), soothe upset bellies and relax sore muscles. Do you remember when I said there were a lot of differing opinions out there regarding all things oils? Well, there are a lot of opinions on dilution rates so I went straight to the source. I jumped online and searched for essential oil companies and Plant Therapy was the first to pop up. Despite the fact that my first starter kit didn't come from them I still used their dilution tables. You can find those here.

I then proceeded to purchase roller balls and fractionated coconut oil (or FCO as you may see around the web) and diluted my oils for each of the following uses:

Upset belly- 1 roller for adults and 1 roller for children

Sore muscles- 1 roller for adults (this is a synergy or blend that contains hot oils not recommended for kids)

Nighttime calm- 1 roller for children

I followed the 1% guide for children and I started at the 2.5% guide for adults but worked my way up to 3.5%. It is recommended that you do not exceed 5% dilution for adults.

Bath time

I love to take hot baths in the winter and what better way to relax after a super long day of work and chasing babies? So I use a variety of oils depending on my desired effect. The most common go to is lavender oil. I run my bath, drop in Epsom salts and about 6-8 drops of oils. I have a large tub and a water overflow stopper to get my tub to hold more water. I fill it up as high as I can and sink in.

I have also used an oil that's meant for upset stomachs and one for muscle aches to soak in. Again it just depends on the desired effect.

That's how I use essential oils within my family.

Have you used essential oils in your family? What is your favorite way to use them?

Being Seen

        

"Mommy, look at my picture!"

       One phrase I hear everyday from my kids is “Look at me! Mommy watch me!” and it won’t stop until I have turned my eyes, face and body towards my child. Then when I have watched the thing, we can continue on to the rest of our day. It can be looking at them eating a spoonful of yogurt or jumping off the couch or writing a letter. Big and small things, my girls want me to see them. It reminds me how I want to be seen too. I want to have people look at me, care about who I am and what I am doing. I crave that validation. 

But sometimes, no one sees me or validates what I am doing. Which makes me feel sad and alone. Like my kids, I cry out to Jesus, “Look at me!” And when I tell him that I feel lonely or alone or like no one cares; He shows up for me. It’s happened through a friend reaching out to me or seeing a sign that gives me encouragement. He shows up every time. He never fails to see me, to know me and what I care about. 

If I feel this way sometimes, I know that there are others out there who feel it too.   I think about how God can use me to help others feel seen, known and loved. To be that friend that reaches out or smiles or says hello. Jesus says that we are to see those in need, whether it be spiritual needs or physical needs. 

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’  {Matthew 25:35-40}

We all get thoughts that cross our mind about unique ways we can help people or something can bring a certain person to our mind. Act on those thoughts! It might be scary to make that first move, but that person might be dying to be seen, known, and loved! 

How has Jesus helped you feel known? How can you help others feel seen? 

The Power of the Swap

I'm not shy about admitting that life as a mom can be hard. It seems like there is always a million things to be done and then they have to get done again. (Hi, Laundry!) I feel like I am constantly looking for ways to make my life easier and I have found one that I just want to tell everyone about.

The Swap.

Yes. It's a simple as it sounds, you get together with a bunch of other moms/people and share a task so you can all get it done. It's amazing. I just experienced the power of the swap when I participated in a quiet book swap with the Quiet Book Queen.  Every lady in the swap made 20 copies of the same page for a quiet book and then we got together and swapped 'em. The end result was two quiet books with 20 fun pages! (If you are confused about what a quiet book is, it's a book made from felt that keeps your kids busy!) Now I have Christmas presents for my kids finished in September #winning.

Now that you know this information, I challenge you to participate in a swap or even organize one! I've heard of babysitting swaps and freezer meal swaps, I wonder if anyone would participate in a laundry swap or a coffee delivery swap?

Let me know of any swap ideas you come up with!

Not Waiting for Perfection

There is this beautiful teal wall near my house and every time I drive by it, I think about how I want to take pictures there. I have planned many photo shoots in my mind. I kept putting it off, even though I really wanted to do it. I was forcing myself to wait until I deemed the circumstances (and kid’s outfits) perfect. Then one day, I decided to just do it, to go take some pictures of the girls by the beloved teal wall. 

And the pictures turned out precious and darling. They are some of my favorites of the girls and they aren’t even wearing perfectly coordinated clothes! This got me to thinking about waiting and the reasons I wait. 

I usually am waiting until things are lined up just how I want them to be. I scramble around trying to make things perfect: my kids, my house, my schedule, my body. It’s exhausting trying to keep up because sometimes no matter how hard I try, things still fall apart or don’t happen how I want them to. My kids still fight and disobey me, there is still laundry, and I am still late to some event. 

Waiting is hard enough as it, {as I mentioned here} that we don’t need to add more waiting into our lives. The bible says in Isaiah 40:31, 

but those who hope in the Lord

    will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

    they will run and not grow weary,

    they will walk and not be faint.

When we are waiting on God, he gives us strength to endure, to become the people He created us to be, to do the things He has called us to do. BUT, when we wait on ourselves, on trying to be perfect and in control, we get weak and exhausted. Have you ever felt that? When I wait for everything to be perfect, most of the time I am mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically exhausted. I can’t keep up, I can’t control everything. Now, that I have realized that I am weak and that I have limitations, I am able to tap into God’s strength to act on what he has placed in my heart even though it might not be my plan or in my timing. 

What are you waiting for? Go do that thing that he has called you to do, that you can’t stop thinking about. Don’t wait until you think everything is perfect to act. Do it in spite of the imperfections and it just might turn out better than you imagined. 

What’s keeping you from pursuing those things in your heart? 

Helping My Kids Through Transitions

Recently, I went back to work after staying home with my girls for the past 3 1/2 years. It is only a part-time job but it’s been a little bit of a rough transition for them since they had been used to having me around all the time. I wanted to do something special for them to know I still love them and think about them when I’m gone. I came up with a few things to help us used to me working again:

1. Before I go to work, I try to do something where I give them my full attention. The girls love to color, so we all get our coloring books and use “mommy’s special pencils.”

2. We read a book called The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn, it’s about a little raccoon missing his mom when he goes to school. We do special goodbye kisses based on this book and it helps keep the tears at bay sometimes. 

3. I wrote them a little book about what I do at work, and how I miss them. They loved it!

Some days they still have a hard time with me leaving, but they really appreciate when I do these little things with them and remind me if I forget! 

Is there anything special you do to help your kids when they have a rough time being away from you?

What I Hope For My Girls

There is heart break galore in the world. Big heart breaks, like the recent massacre of beautiful people in Orlando and little heart breaks like your dearest dreams being unfulfilled. Thousands of reasons for our hearts to break, every day. When I think about my girls growing up and sending them out into a world that will break their hearts, not just once but dozens of times, I feel faint. If I could have it my way, they would never experience heart break or disappointment. They would see their dearest dreams come true and they would never experience death or loss of those they love or be victims of senseless crime or ridicule or bullying. But, that is not the reality of the world we live in, it’s broken and full of broken people. 

This reality of the eventual heart break makes me think about what I hope for them when they encounter it. I hope that they will learn to love well and deeply even though their hearts will be broken. Fear of the heart break is no way to live. Fear causes us to do crazy things, to judge and to criticize what we don’t know. I hope that they will push past their fears and enter in with the hard situations and hardened people. I hope that they know that the fear will never go away. That it will always be there to rear its ugly head but that it will get quieter and less overpowering the more they choose to love. Perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18) 

So, my dear ones when you are tempted to shrink back and give into fear, I hope that you will be brave and choose to love, that is the only way to conquer your fears. 

What do you hope for your kids in the future? 

Mom Insecurity

When I became a mom, I wanted to give my child the best of everything. I wanted to do everything perfect and just the right way. Which is what I think every new mom wants to do. I read books, went to classes, and researched articles online to come up with what I thought was the best way to take care of my baby. I was feeling really good about it until I opened up Facebook and Instagram. I started to compare myself with my mom friends and I was coming up short. How could my friend’s baby be sleeping through the night at a month old and mine was still waking up too many times to count at 9 months old? What was wrong with me? What was wrong with my baby? Then as if my own thoughts of inadequacy weren’t enough, I started to get comments and questions about how I was talking care of my baby from well-meaning family, friends, and even strangers! 

Each time, the comments would shake my confidence and make me question if I was doing the right thing. Until one day (after crying about a stranger’s comment in the corner of Target), I realized that I was caring way too much about what other people thought. God made me the mother of my children for a reason, he trusts me to take care of them. Why can’t I trust myself? It’s ok if I do something differently than another mom, because God made every single person different. We will all parent differently because of how we were made and our life experiences. Let’s just give ourselves and each other a break, ok? The mom who feeds her child organic and the mom who feeds her child fast food are both loving their children. God says not to worry about what we will eat or drink (Matthew 6:25-34). In light of that, I don't think we should be worrying about what other people are feeding or giving their children to drink or judge them for it. 

We are pro-sugar. 

The only thing, LITERALLY THE ONLY THING that matters is that we love our kids. This is what the Bible says love is… “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (1 Corinthians 13) This is our standard. This is how we should love our kids and also love other moms. I know we aren’t perfect, we will mess up. Believe me, I need grace every day! Let’s remember what really matters, and not get caught up in the little things. Let’s encourage each other in the most excellent way: love. 

Do you find yourself getting insecure about your parenting choices or judging what other moms do? What helps you remember what really matters?

Waiting Patiently

Waiting…it’s something we all do. I find that I am constantly telling my girls to wait and to be patient. They just don’t seem to be grasping the concept yet, because usually they whine or fight each other while I fixing them lunch or when we are driving in the car. It’s very frustrating. I just don't know how many times we are going to have to go over what waiting patiently is. When I ask them to please be patient and wait, this is what I would like:

-to sit/stand there calmly and quietly, expecting and knowing that I am on my way to get the thing that they need.

This is what usually happens:

-They keep asking me about it, can’t they see I am on the way to getting the thing they asked for?!

-They fight each other because they can’t have what they want right this very second

-They complain and yell that it’s not fast enough

This happens multiple times a day and I wish they would get with the program already! In my frustration, I felt God tell me, “Have you even learned to be patient in waiting?” OH crap. How I react in waiting for God’s timing is similar to how my kids act. First, I ask and wait for a second then I keep asking God about it. When the answer doesn't come as fast as I would like it, I start complaining about it and whining to my friends. Then I start fighting with my sweet husband because I’m unhappy that I’m not getting what I want, right when I want it. How many times have I acted this way? I am ashamed to admit that it’s been too much. I wonder if God feels the same way about my impatience as I feel about my girls’ lack of patience. Does he get frustrated? It makes me think of the nation of Israel being rescued and on their way to the promised land. They complained and whined and God had to deal with their disobedience. Because of their whining, their journey took them 40 years instead of only 11 days! (I remember hearing this fact from Joyce Meyer.) 

This makes me think of when I am getting something the girls need, like a snack, and then they are whining or fighting. I have to stop getting their snack and address their behavior. It would have taken less time to just get the snack, but stopping to correct them took away time from getting their request. It blows my mind how many parallels there are between parenting and the Israelites in the desert. It really makes me appreciate God and what He does for me. Maybe I am having a delayed response to prayer because of my attitude and God in his wisdom is lovingly correcting me. I correct my kids’ behavior because I don't want them to be brats. Maybe God is helping me not become a brat too? How do you wait patiently? How do you teach your kids to do it too? 

Cultivating Creativity in My Kids

Something that is important to me as a mom is helping my girls cultivate their creativity. I want their little minds to be open to new ideas and possibilities. I want them to grow up knowing that they don't have to do things the way they have always been done. I hope to help them get that mindset by exposing them to a variety of art supplies and letting them create whatever their hearts desire. Here are some ways that I allow them to get creative by:

-Picking out their own outfit. This is one of the first ways Sawyer showed her independence. She not so quietly told me that she didn't want to wear what I picked out for her. Since that day she has been proudly wearing clashing patterns/colors, but she is loving it. This is a safe way for her to figure out what she likes and express her independence. The Girls with Glasses Show posted a video on this subject called #ToddlerStylist, check it out!

-Picking out an art project they want to do. I found this great book called The Artful Parent on clearance at Hobby Lobby for like $5! It has a lot of great tips about getting your kids into art. I let Sawyer look through it and pick out a project she wants to do. (FYI: This does not happen everyday, I’m not Super Mom!)

-Picking out an art supply. The dollar bins at Target and Michael's are great for this, and also the Dollar Tree. 

-Lastly, I let them see me create. Kids learn from example and I found that when I am enjoying myself, they want to be a part of it too. 

How do you get creative with your kids?

My Favorite Mom Resources

I think that we can all agree that while motherhood has many joyous moments, it mostly has a lot of hard moments. Sometimes we need encouragement on our motherhood journey that can make us laugh or help us to grow. I wanted to share some of my favorite mom resources that help me do just that!

Podcasts:

-Mom Struggling Well: this episode on Anxiety was really encouraging.

-Inspired to Action:  this episode on remaining curious in our walk with God really had me reflecting, which is something I love to do.

YouTube Channels:

-Whats Up Moms: Seriously, I love this channel!! The moms are hilarious and there are tons of great tips, recipes, and hacks for mom life. I love this episode on homemade playdoh, this one on the best brussel sprouts recipe, and this arts and crafts hack, plus this funny Taylor Swift parody!

-Girls with Glasses: I mainly love their parody videos, "I'm not Fancy" is my fave.

Books: 

Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood: This book helped me see purpose in everything I do as a mom and showed me places in scripture that helped me grow.

I hope these resources can be something that brightens your day! What helps you laugh or encourages you as a mom?

(Check out your local HomeGoods store for this "cool" mug..see what I did there?)