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!"

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

Clarity is Power... Are you living your dream?

Ever wonder "what is my calling" "what was is my purpose" "what am I supposed to be doing"? If your answer is yes, than your in good company along with so many others. 

You recall your childhood or adolescent years dreaming of what you were going to be when you grew up, or that dream life you would have? Like so many of us, these jobs, dreams and idealisms change when we become adults and life just happens before us. However, one thing that should never change, is your ability to dream, your heart to grow and live the life you have imagined and bigger! 

In a survey conducted by Salary.com of over 1.100 people, they were asked about their dream jobs, to find out if they were truly doing what they had always dreamed of. An astonishing 16% of those surveyed were living out those dreams! Additionally, 70% of those surveyed had also said their dream job had changed once they became an adult. Check out the full story and statistics here. 

Check out this article from Oprah about knowing your calling

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Oprah-on-Finding-Your-Calling-What-I-Know-For-Sure

Multi-tasking Mom's

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

- Proverbs 22:6

Every night after dinner with my family, my husband and I carve out a few minutes to breath out and listen to each others day. Although we are BLESSED to work together in the same office / same line of work, we encounter different experiences each day and we don't always see each other.  It is nice to be able to empty out our minds and have someone to listen on the other end. I'll admit that it doesn't always go that way, there are plenty times where days get spilled over cooking dinner, table setting, kids talking and dogs barking... yet for the most part we plan for quiet times to have these talks. 

Just yesterday I had one of those rare moments where I just started to spill my day to my husband over the phone on my way to pick up my oldest from school. I went on to explain that it was a good day, all that I was able to accomplish and how our 2 year old, whom came along with was good while mommy did all her work. When I mentioned that she was "good," my husband replied "yeah?" as if there was a question, so without hesitation I went on to explain how she had sat for most of the day and watched Blue's Clue's, I took some time to sit with her and have lunch and talk to her and she played with her toys in our office right beside my desk and didn't even bother me..." I paused and he paused on the other end... Then I got this: "Isn't it funny how we judge our kids behavior based on if they bother us or not...?" "huh" got me there, yet I tried to back pedal, "Well what I meant was she just was so happy today no tantrums!" To comfort me he softly said "Yes, I know babe I'm just saying it's pretty funny that is how we base their good days and bad days!" You know what... he was SO RIGHT. I mean from time to time I think about this as I sulk in the motherly guilt moment yet to hear it was like a wake up call! I judged my TWO year old's day, by how she didn't bother me... what a selfish judgement I passed. In that moment in the midst of conversation with my husband about how our day was, I was experiencing an awaking moment of the value of time. I'm one lucky girl to have a husband that I get to have conversations like this and grow with! 

Is multi tasking effective for me? The answer is NO! I learned this from a very inspirational leader of a man, CEO and growth machine in business that multi-tasking is simply NOT effective. Whether it be watching your kids and doing paper work to having conversation while watching Property Brothers. People who "try" and multitask are often easier to distract because they have more trouble filtering out irrelevant informtion. In fact, when it comes to distractions, muti-taskers can be their own worst enemy spending an average of 3 minutes on any one task before moving on to another, while it takes 11 minutes to refocus. That also means that while your brain is starting the timer for the 11 minutes to get re-focsued at 3 minutes your distracted!!!  AHHH what a vicious cycle! So in a world of constant distractions,  phone calls, Facebook, emails, to do lists, changing Blue's Clue's videos and getting more apple juice, we are not focused on one thing at a  time... hardly ever! 

My daughter didn't feel that she had a bad day with mommy, she isn't even aware that I was basing her behavior status on how little she interrupted my tasks, no for her, she had a fun day at the office with mommy, got to watch Blue's Clue's, eat lunch with mommy, play with toys and color and I know this because that's what she told my husband she did!I love being a mom, everything that I get to be, do and experience as a mom... I LOVE! What a great awareness this has brought to my love for motherhood a realization to cherish each moment of time spent with our children is. Is it easier said then done, no, stop making excuses and become intentional about cherishing those moments! We are all trying to be the best mommy, wife and women we all know how to be, learning each day, my guess is that if we can be real enough, raw enough, open to change, and come from our hearts, our growth is limitless and everyone wins when we grow!  I get to choose to be aware of how I influence my daughters day, how I get to be a part of empowering her to grow and learn and simply be a 2 year old making memories. I'm not a perfect mom and were not a perfect family; however we are an imperfect family COMMITTED to improving!!