Encouragement

It's here!!! As I write this, Christmas is exactly one month away. Our family LOVES celebrating Christmas, but something I've started thinking about more this year is how to simplify the Christmas season so that it is more fun, more meaningful, and more memorable. Here are a few things I started doing years ago, as well as new things I want to implement this year. When my boys look back on their Christmases as children, I don't want them to remember stressed out parents or a calendar that is too full. I want them to look back with joy on a season full of great memories and experiences. Keep the expectations of children and holiday activities realistic. Before I had children,...

I’ve always struggled with asking for help and even more so with accepting help. As soon as I hear “Do you need help with …” or “Do you want me to …” my mouth starts forming the word “no.” I think the first time I realized how much I struggled with asking for and accepting help was with the birth of my first child. At that time, help came from every direction - cooked meals, errands, laundry, babysitting to allow for a shower. And while I was gracious for my family and friends to offer, my instinct was to say “no.” I think that quick “no” came from guilt. Guilt that I wouldn’t be able to return the favor. Guilt that someone...

As my children have gotten old enough to have little personalities and opinions (4 & 3), I find myself lacking patience more and more in situations where I feel out of control. You know, when your kids push you to the edge. If I'm not careful, I can go from calm and conquering the day to an extremely heated, mental meltdown in a matter of minutes. Do you ever see somebody out in public and think "man, I would never do that / say that / act that way with my own kids?" It's hard to be a parent in general, let alone in front of anyone else these days. But I think those glimpses into someone else's life, when it appears a little rough,...

After having a rough day in the world of marriage, my bestie sent me this beautiful quote. “Marriage is a not a noun, its a verb. It isn’t something you get. Its something you do. Its the way you love your partner everyday.” -Barbara De Angelis The quote couldn’t have come at a better time. I have been married to the most amazing man for over six years. Not that long in the grand scheme of life, but what makes it feel long for us is that we have lived in 5 cites, had two children, and many many transitions in between. It has been a roller coaster to say the least. It has been fun. Hard. Unbearable at times. Exciting. Joyful....

When you think of self care, what do you think about? Napping? Taking a walk? Going to Target all by yourself? A girls trip? Self care, like people, comes in all shapes and sizes. It varies person to person and as we get older, our version of self care changes. We have to adjust our own version of self care in order to make it fit into our lives. Self care is important ... EXTREMELY important. We moms / wives / friends / coworkers give and give until we are depleted. If you think you don't have a few minutes to take care of yourself, try to carve out a small amount of time. You have to adjust your version...