Get your feel good

Lately the days have been hard, life's been hard, stress is high and it seems like there is not enough hours in the day... Life is hard though, we make mistakes, we struggle, we make a mess, we're exhausted, but... we survive, we live on another day and we become wiser. When life get's you down get your feel good. Do something for yourself that will ignite your fire, make you smile and beYOUtiful! 

I went and got my hair done the other day, I took a leap and went a little crazy compared to my routine natural color. I left there feeling re-energized, like a new woman, it refueled my soul !

Don't forget that you are human, it's okay to make mistakes,  to have a meltdown as long as we can move forward from it, realize where we are at this present moment, embrace it and refocus to what is ahead, one moment at a time. 

Smile - you are LOVELY, you are WORTHY, you are a WARRIOR!

Fake It Till You Make It

They say "Fake It Till You Make It" right? Now, I wonder am I the only one who thinks that saying is the most shallow egotistical crazy nonsense EVER?! I mean who really wants to FAKE it? Who really wants to be "that" person who lives a lie every day, puts on a facade that life is just grand, when truth is, you know just as well as I do that we are human and we have days that just outright SUCK!
I say, Feel it till you Real It... Feel your emotions, make them real, wear them like the badass that you are. Rock your inner Warrior and SHOW UP! Life isn't always pretty, its messy and wild and sometimes its beautiful and peaceful but we have to be able to flow with it. I would challenge you to be REAL today and be WHO you are, DO what you have to DO and remember: "Beauty begins the moment you decide to just...Be Yourself!"

Creative Momma

I've read that:
Creative folks are easily bored, take risks, think with their hearts, aren't afraid to make mistakes, are independent, strongly dislike rules, change their mind often, see extraordinary while others may see ordinary, have a reputation for eccentricity and DREAM BIG... Does this sound like you?

I know that I am a creative soul, I've always been an inventor and a re finisher. I have a burning passion to create and I love glitter and colors... So go on and be creative, inventive, different, bold, messy and do your thing!

More than a Pacifier

So, I have been able to nurse my son for the last 10 months and plan to continue, however there are times when I need encouragement. If your a nursing mom or have nursed, you know what I am talking about... The 1 or 2 hour breaks our breast get in between feedings that seem to go by quicker than any other hour of the day. The late night wake up calls from a crying baby and if your anything like me, that comes every hour... 2 if I'm lucky. Then there is always the extra cushion in our cups from those fancy little protective nursing pads, I guess a little extra padding never hurt anyone. All the things we endure just to nourish our children from our own body right? But what I failed to mention is the number of beautiful things about it. The deep stares I get back at me, his little fingers wrapping around mine, that closeness and cuddles for that time, the deep unexplainable connection I get to make with my son as we look into each others eyes. This is the encouragement I need sometimes when the times get tough and we all know that times get tough! Haven't you, at one time or another wanted to just say "no more" or "that's is these girls are mine!" "I can't take this anymore." I know I have and especially lately, it feels as though I have been feeding ALL the time, sometimes only a few minutes in between feedings and I know he's just doing it for the pure comfort of it. There are countless nights of  little to no sleep and every hour wake up call to nurse, soothe and comfort him to fall back asleep. I thought to myself "he's not even eating!" It's in these moments of weakness quitting seems so easy, giving up on my real desire to continue. I had to dig deep and really ask myself, am "I ready to give in just because I am exhausted not to mention he now has TEETH?! The answer is no! The cries for comfort, the need for security, fulfillment, care and attention coming from my infant son are what I GET to give to him as a mom. I am his whole world. Yes, I feel like a human pacifier, a walking teething toy but the truth is I am so much more than a pacifier, a tool to soothe him momentarily, I am his everything! Don't we all love to be wanted, to be needed? I love having the quality time to connect, tune out the noise and absorb these little moments of a little human life wanting and needing me.  

Sure there are times that my days are crazy filled with temper tantrums, spilled milk, mom, mom, mom and a tornado of toys that make me want to make a dash for the closest closet door to lock myself in and capture even just one moment of silence, but the truth is that it won't be too much longer from now that I will have a lot of silence in this nest and I will only have the memories of these days filled with noise to reflect on.

So find ways to renew your strength when you need it, find that little bit of encouragement to get you through because, you CAN do this. You are promoting comfort and confidence that you are there when that precious little needs you and until the time comes to part nursing ways, remember you are a warrior that has endured and survived nursing

Neat facts according to babysteals.com

Homemaking the highest wage of love

In the wee hours of the night, the sounds of rustling around and little slow whines soon to develop into a full infant cry, wakes me up. Each new day is mostly like the last, filled with toddler wake up calls, making lunches, cups of coffee, house chores, changing diapers, running errands, answering to my 3 year old "mom... mom... mom" requests, snacks, nursing my infant son on demand, more house chores, doing most things with 1 available hand while holding baby, planning and cooking dinner, dishes, sharing stories, hugs, kisses and bed time routines. Once the day is done and the kids are asleep, silence fills the air and it's all too easy to continue on the path of production of getting done "all that I can, while I can." I take very little time, if any time to sit, lay, rest or relax the ever-running mind of mine. Yet, on the occasion that I do, I find myself sitting up in bed in the dark, as my husband sleeps, my eyes wander to my sons crib and I watch him as he sleeps. I wonder what he dreams about, what his little mind must be thinking. I replay the day and all the silly faces he made, all the smiles he made, his sweet little sounds and smell the scent of spit ups on my shirt. It's as if I yearn to wake him up to see his smile and smell his sweet breath... But why, why when he's sleeping so sound and at 1:00 in the morning when I should be getting some sleep of my own? I guess you could call it my moments of gratitude. It's in these moments that I can hear my own self think, I can spill out what I'm most grateful for each day in my life. It all sounds so cliche and yet it's not done often enough as we get so caught up in that hustle and bustle of everyday life, days past much like the last. So, I take these moments to appreciate life's biggest blessings and the day to day life I get to live out as a wife and mother. I smile as I change my sons diaper in the middle of the night, as he stretches his little body out never even opening his eyes, I kiss his little lips as he snuggles up in my arms and falls back into a deep sleep, I kiss his chubby cheeks as he sleeps and whisper "I love you." 

Yes, everyday I eat standing up with a baby in my arms on most days, I run up the stairs down the stairs back up and go round and round between the three of my littles... But because of them I laugh, I learn, I grow, I smile, I feel the love of my kids and give the love of a mother that is a privilege not all women get. Sure I've given up many things to be a stay at home mom, but that little compares to what I have gained from being a stay at home mom. I am thankful for each day I am given to be their mommy and to see their smiles, hear their laughter, triumph over trials and fears and smell their not good and not so good smells :)  The oh so tough job of being a homemaker is by far the most rewarding career of my life. It has given me many things, among them, growth, reward, obstacles, challenges, values, time and the highest wage of love. It's the little moments that count the most and it's the moments that we take the time to appreciate and express our gratitude for what we do have and get to do in this life. It is all a blessing, no matter how big or small you think.  I challenge everyone to take a few minutes each day to think about what life blessings you have and be sincerely grateful for them, not thinking about what's on your calendar for tomorrow or worry about anything, just live in the moment and be happy for what is.