Living a More Balanced Purposeful Life

 

So, why not let a month go by before posting again? This summer has hit hard in a busy way. Back to back travel two weeks in a row followed by vacation bible school and a garage sale (I am still debating wether or not garage sales are worth the work). Oh, and I forgot to mention we have a baby walker! Baby girl turned 1..sigh...and started walking. Her 2 year old brother and her have become double trouble teaming up together to get into things. That has kept me very busy. So, how am I managing 3 kids, managing our home and keeping up with things? That is what I am working on. Learning to balance and juggle all the balls in my court as well as living more intentionally. So, over the next few posts I am going to share my trials and errors on what helps me.

Letting Go

I have realized that I need to let more go to feel more balanced in my life and my families lives.  So here is my list of things I am learning to let go. Enjoy!

I am choosing to let go....

1. that all the toys need to be picked up before I go to bed. We all know they are going to get up and dump them everywhere again in the morning anyway.
2. that my decorating project realistically won't get finished in one day and that they usually make another mess.
3. that some days I am not going to put a check next to everything on my "to do" list.
4. that its ok that I didn't sign my almost kindergartener up for any extracurricular activities this summer. She starts school this fall and I want to savor every moment with her.
5. of my kids watching a couple extra shows in the morning while I try to get some things done around the house. Hey, its usually educational! :)
6. my hair looking even close to decent on any given day. Ha, who am I kidding? I am lucky to get a shower everyday.
7. every time I go to the grocery store I don't have to use coupons. Shocker! I usually have 3 kids with me and couponing with them can become a nightmare quickly. So sometimes I choose to avoid that.
8. that I don't have to take my kids somewhere to have fun with them. I can entertain them and create cool memories from our own home.
9.  that I can't commit to tons of things. I will only commit to things that I can follow through with and right now I understand that it won't be a lot.
10. of the fact that sometimes I do need help and its ok to ask for it.

Wow! That's a lot of letting go going on! Stay tuned to see what else I figure out as I intend to live a more purposeful life for myself and my family.

Happy Sunday



 ³ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. ⁴ Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight
1 Peter 3:3

The Word on the Street is...

So the word on the street says that Chick-fil-A is having free sweet potato fries tomorrow from 3-6 p.m.!!! I love their sweet potato fries!  Yummy! So make sure you get there a little early because they have tendency to be very, VERY busy!

Gluten Free Picnic in Tilles Park

The Bi-State Celiac Support group is having a Gluten Free picnic this month at Tilles Park. Here is some information from their website.

"The Bi-State Celiac Support Group invites you to an Old Fashioned Gluten-Free Pot Luck Picnic on Saturday May 21, 2011 at the Gloria Rodgers Pavillion in Tilles Park (corner of Litzinger and McKnight, 9551 Litzinger)in St. Louis.  The time is 10:30 - 1:30 rain or shine.  There will be - fun - games, crafts, music, Fred Bird, food, samples, and a raffle.  Bring a gluten-free potluck item to share, along with copies of the recipe.  Outlets are available for crockpots and a grill is located next to the picnic shelter. 

This sounds like a lot of fun, we are going...Food, Music and Fred Bird!!!! Who is coming with us???

Two Moms in the Raw!

I drove through Starbucks last week for a yummy cup of coffee and decided to pick up a healthy snack as well (to cancel out the whip cream I knew would add calories to my drink of course). The guy at the window said they were all out of my apple bran muffin so he suggested I try this blueberry granola bar that they sell from a company called TWO MOMS IN THE RAW. I rolled my eyes and thought that it would probably taste like cardboard but bought it anyway. OMG was it delicious!! I researched the company a little and found out that they are amazing! The blueberry granola is Gluten Free, Dairy Free, No oils, no refined sugars (WHICH ARE TERRIBLE FOR YOU!!), Wheat Free and completely RAW and ORGANIC. Whew! What a mouthful. So check them out. TWO MOMS IN THE RAW

Happy Mother's Day!!

Tomorrow is a day where we think about our lives as mothers and celebrate the mothers in our lives. I know everyone has those women in their lives that are like mothers to them, then we have Step Mothers, Mother in laws, and Grandmothers. All types of women are celebrated today and all of these women have profound effects on our lives. Nonetheless, It's an important day to focus on your family.

I will spend the day with my family, and stopping in to see the other mothers in our family. I am going to try to RELAX so I can focus on how I can be a better mother for the years to come. I do not want Mother's Day to be about catering to me (although I do want some alone time:)

 I want it to be a day where I think about the children that made me a mother, and how I can give them all they need emotionally, spiritually and physically to be the best they can be. I was listening to the radio last week and I heard (through the sounds of children screaming and playing) someone talking about how we should focus our thoughts on Mother's Day. they were saying that Mother's day is not about ourselves and our selfish desires to want everyone to cater to us. We should take the day to ask ourselves some really important questions like "What kind of relationship do you want with your children?" and "Are you keeping a close relationship with Christ so that will overflow into the lives of your children?" It is encouraging to me to know that God has a great plan for me as a Mother. He made me a mother for a reason, and he wants us to have healthy relationships with our mothers. I hopeyou have a wonderful Mother's Day thinking about the children that call you Mother!

Fitness First Fridays!!

Join St Louis Children's Hospital at The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum, on the first Friday of every month! We are part of The Magic House's new program, Fitness First Fridays. Families can stretch their muscles and their minds as they take the 1,000-step circuit through the museum, touring hundreds of fun, educational exhibits and looking for "Fit Facts" filled with useful health and nutrition information. Each month will feature a different fitness theme, as well as special guests and activities to get families energized about getting fit. this event is included with museum admission.