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- Mama, How Will You Handle The Crisis?
Something hit me today, as I looked ahead to see how I could manage things under our new circumstances. I dig change! Not everyone does, and that’s okay. But as moms, we’ve already been trained to roll with the punches. So I see an opportunity to have some fun! Try something new and look for some lessons God has for me in this time of change. What can I learn from the circumstances He’s put me in? Question for you. Are you trying to fit learning into your quarantine or are you treating it like an extended spring break? (There’s not right or wrong answer here.) For my family, we aren’t located in a school zone that I don’t consider an option for us. We are very unsure about where to place our kiddo as he begins his elementary education. Personally, I don’t feel equipped to homeschool, but maybe God is trying to show me different OR trying to show my husband that, in fact, that is NOT an option. And because my boy is one of the youngest in his class, some think we should let him repeat kindergarten. But I don’t want that for him, and I’m willing to work hard with him in these early years to help him avoid spending his 18th year in high school. So we’re gonna fit in some learning using scholastic.com/learnathome and the encouragement from my friend and home school mama, “learning doesn’t have to be structured like school. it’s why homeschoolers love it. there is freedom! let your kids have fun learning!”1 (Thanks for that, Alison. I do think the average mom needs this reminder!) But the transparent truth is, we started off the morning in bed to finally watch Frozen II together. I’m pretty sure @disney released it early for our entertainment during this quarantine, and we aren’t complaining!! So how will we react to this crisis? Don’t you agree that how we respond will teach our kids a lot about how to handle crisis? I want my boy to look back and feel like we handled it with grace, like we made a seamless transition, but recognize that we handled our responsibilities too. As another friend said, “I hope it affects the way they parent in the future.”2 Like what you’re reading? Subscribe to get a notification when I’ve posted something new to my blog! Mamas, it is our time to shine! Don’t let fear or overwhelm take over your family. Be an example! Be a leader! We’re already familiar with crisis. Momming has trained us for this with very unexpected step of motherhood. If you begin to feel the overwhelm, take a minute to regain your perspective! Stop with the plans and have more fun! Throw a dance party in the kitchen with your wooden spoon mics. Have a picnic in the yard. Finger paint in the tub. Or just send the kids to a space where they can entertain themselves for a time because they don’t need you 24/7. Give them a chance to get creative or wild and messy without you. “You have your whole life to clean the mess (and so do they).”3 What activities are you planning for this time? Are they kids activities, family activities or what? Let’s help each other out by sharing our plans for each other to grab some inspiration. Friends quoted today: 1. @thealisonpage, 2. & 3. @lindsayteague
- Create The Life You Want
Whoa! The world has changed, hasn’t it? Are you taking advantage of your “spare” time? Oh wait, mama, did I just see you cut your eyes at me? Okay, okay. I know you’re busier than ever right now, since adding all these new titles of teacher, chef, house cleaner to CEO of your home. But are you carving out any time for yourself? Let me encourage you to take care of yourself. Give yourself time to breathe, hear your own thoughts, and even relax. This could be the perfect time to reinvent yourself and play BIG. I’m staying busy with all the same things that keep you busy right now, but for my self-care, I’m focused on my continuing education for online lead generation. I mean every one of you has asked me about that at one time or another. I’m also getting ready to host a free webinar that’s gonna help me prepare a bonus training for my friend’s new course “Build a Blissful Business”! Did. You. Hear. That. Want me to say it again? I’m creating a bonus training for my friend’s course! Friends, this is huge because I’ve been “training” for course building for a year now. Online courses don’t come together over night, so I am super excited for my girlfriend who has worked her tail off for this one. And I am very honored that she’s asked me to add additional value to her class. My mission is to help you PLAY BIG! Life’s not about finding yourself, it’s about creating yourself! When you can’t find what you need, create it! Mama, you may have all the things you need, but if your heart is aching for more, can I just tell you? It’s possible to have it. If you crave community, create it. If you want more or better friends, find them. If you want to produce an income doing the things you love, do it! Learn more about me in my bio, here. Let me ask you, do you have an online business concept? How about you stop dreaming about it and turn it into cash? Listen here, you don’t have to do this alone. We’re better together. If you’ve failed a million times or never tried before, it does not matter. The past, YOUR past does NOT define you! Don’t freeze or get stuck. Surround yourself with people who understand that burning desire to do more, be more. Choose people who push you to go after them. You could be just one choice away from a totally different life! I’ve got one secret that I know to be true. Learn from others who have gone before you and apply what they’ve learned. Let’s work less hours and make more money. Are you with me? I want you to discover what you really want your life to look like and design your business around that so you don’t waste any precious time like I did! So… I’ve got an invite to my girl’s FREE Masterclass where she’s giving away four tips that helped build her million dollar brand. UPDATE: Registration has closed for Build a Blissful Business, but I know this online course is going to knock your socks off, so, I’ve negotiated 5 more seats. You must act before midnight on Sunday April 19th for your chance at one of these final seats. Act fast! Click here and create the life you want! Get ready to build a business where you find your voice, work less and enjoy more! Doors are closed, but join the wait list now. Click here.
- How to Survive the Trifecta of Shopping Days :: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday & Cyber Monday
I am not one for crowds, nor do I typically have a shopping lists for gifts. Yes, I’m that gift giver. I have to browse for something that pops off the shelf at me for you! However, now that I have a kid, I am trying to come up with gift ideas early and take advantage of the famous shopping weekend after Thanksgiving. I need some tips though! So, if you can tell me how to create a gift list to shop from, I think I could benefit from my own tips even better, so please share with me in the comments below. I have been trying to ease into this weekend a little at a time, one year at a time; therefore, I do have a few tips to help you stay sane during the trifecta shopping weekend of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Start with one of the three days! If you are not a shopaholic who normally shops until you drop, pick one of these three days and just have fun. Not letting this weekend or one day stress you out might allow you to come back for more in following years. (Tip: use Young Living Stress Away Essential Oil to lighten your spirits and fight the surrounding stress of crowds and shopping goals.) Only shop at the stores you love! There are a ton of deals available and the ads WILL overwhelm you. Instead of browsing all the ads, just check out the store ads for your favorite stores. If you do have a gift list, let Google do its job and search item by item to find the best price. See what deals your friends are getting! Browse your social media accounts for deal links shared by your friends. You may discover that you shop for a lot of the same things as your social circle. If you take the time to browse your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram feeds, you may just find YOUR DEAL OF THE DAY!! Last year, I shopped Small Business Saturday through Instagram. I felt super good about supporting small business moms who are doing what they love and just trying to make enough money to share it with us. Then, I may have done a little Cyber Monday browsing that turned into a purchase or two, but I didn’t let any of it stress me out. Who knows if I’ll ever get out into the stores on a Black Friday or not, but if you can teach me how to make a Christmas Shopping List, I might get a little more serious about this weekend. I’m open to tips, so please send them to me in the comment below! One more place that I look for great deals for myself (shh!!! sometimes, you just have to shop for yourself too!) is AliLuvs.com. Ali Fedotowsky wears the cutest outfits and writes my favorite Blog EVER! So, when she makes a #CyberMonday list of Sales, I have to read. And, since we are talking about shopping deals, I have to end with the deal I’m offering. You know that I am a Young Living Independent Distributor, so, of course, I have a deal to offer you too! I love it when you interact with me, so please comment below and let’s discuss this trifecta weekend of shopping deals or my Essential Oils. #mombossencouragement #worldevents #younglivingessentialoils
- Babies and Essential Oils
DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor. I am not recommending that anyone use Essential Oils (EOs) on their infant or child before the recommended age or without consulting a Doctor first. I am posting about this subject because it has recently been a hot topic in my circle. Specifically, how can we help make our babies more comfortable, build their immune system, etc.? We all want to do this in the most natural way possible. And let’s be honest, a screaming, crying baby will send any mom looking for alternative solutions that have not yet been suggested to them. So, let me first say that I didn’t know about Essential Oils (EOs) until #MyBoy was 8 months old. By then, I had already found a solution for his gassy, fussy tummy. I don’t think he had colic, and if so… it wasn’t bad. However, he let me know when he was uncomfortable, just like they all do! Anyway, before he was born, I had heard about Gripe Water, how amazing it was and had been gifted a bottle. The first time he seemed uncomfortable, I used it. It was like magic. Though within a few weeks, I realized that I never read the ingredients. Once I read, I was floored. This was not a natural product like I thought. Don’t ask me why I thought this! Therefore, I began searching for a replacement. Everything had citric acid, except one product that someone posted about on a mommy board. What was it? Rhett’s future tummy saver? Catnip & Fennel by Nature’s Sunshine. It’s an Alcohol-Free Herbal Extract and it is AhMazing!! To remind myself how amazing it is, I used it tonight. Yes. I ate Mexican tonight and my tummy has been so uncomfortable & gassy since. So, when I looked for this bottle, so I could attach a picture, I decided… dose yourself again. Remind yourself how good it is, if you’re going to recommend it. No kidding, as it went down, the relief took place. It has a strong flavor, but it can be diluted as needed. I diluted by at least 1:3 for Rhett. All that to say, this is something I personally used in my household with great results. I know you thought this post was going to be about Babies & Essential Oils, specifically, so let me get down to the nitty gritty… I don’t have any personal experience with EOs and babies under 8 months. Therefore, I’ve been gathering a lot of information on the subject from other moms who post in Facebook Groups about Essential Oils (which I participate) and narrowing down the topics to include babies. First of all, there are a ton of opinions and a lot of different solutions. The gathered that the general consensus is to experiment (safely) and find out what works for your baby. However, if you want an oil that is safely blended for your child, choose one intended for children. Young Living has a blend called Gentle Baby that is safe for mothers during pregnancy and newborns. One description I found says, “This oil is a soft blend made for the tender body of a baby to relax and moisturize the skin. It can help calm newborns, but can also be used to calm emotions for mothers in pregnancy.” I read where several mothers have blended this with a carrier oil and rub it on baby’s tummy and back to sooth a baby with colic. Some mothers mentioned using diluted DiGize too. Of course there are other oils suggested for aiding in sleep besides Gentle Baby, such as Peace & Calming, SleepyIze, & Lavender. The last thing to note is the dilution rate seems to be 30:1 (Carrier Oil to Essential Oil) for infants. I don’t own this book yet, but will one day very soon because it’s apparently the Bible of Essential Oils for Babies & Pregnancy. So, in conclusion, I have to recommend referencing this book, Gentle Babies Essential Oils and Natural Remedies for Pregnancy, Childbirth, Infants and Young Children by Debra Raybern, for more suggestions and verification of any information I’ve mentioned above. Here are a few pages from the book that will help cover some of the topics at hand. If you want more information on Young Living Essential Oils, please ask. I’m a Young Living Independent Distributor. What is your experience with Essential Oils and Babies? Tell me in the comments below. #confidence #motherhood #younglivingessentialoils
- Yummy Treats with a Twist
I have this real simple Lemon Icebox Pie recipe that I’ve used for years and years. I think I got it from my cousin, years ago, and a lot of you probably make it too because it’s always been a big hit! 1 graham cracker crust 1 can of evaporated milk 1 tub of cool whip 1 packet of lemonade Recognize that? I thought some of you would. Well since I began using essential oils and fell in love with the Young Living Vitality line (adding lemon, lime, grapefruit or even Citrus Fresh to my water every day), I decided why not try to replace that packet of lemonade with fresh lemon juice & essential oils. So, I did. 7 drops of lemon essential oil 2 drops of lime essential oil 2 tbsp of lemon juice My pie filling has NEVER fluffed up so much, nor has it ever been tastier!! You have to try it! The reason I sat down to share this with you today is because I’m in the middle of preparing for a few guests. As you see, I am always multi-tasking, jumping from one thing to the next… especially when time restrictions are in place. Tonight, I’m serving lite, refreshing appetizers, since my guests will not come until after dinner. To go along with the oh so delicious lemon icebox pie, I made a FRUIT DIP (courtesy of Amy’s Finer Things). It also uses essential oils and is out of this world. It tastes exactly like the original creamsicle. YUMMY!!! I cannot wait to eat this on a tub full of strawberries, and YES! I will eat an entire tub of strawberries myself. Once we put out the finished products, I’ll come back and update this with everyone’s response and photos of our finished products! For more information about the essential oils that I use and trust, click here. Love, Your Oily FREE.K #cooking #diet #younglivingessentialoils
- Favorite Things Friday
We all have addictions, and since a few of my favorite people are sharing their favorite things, I wanted to jump in and share a few things that I’m totally obsessed with right now! YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS. No surprise, I know… but I am seriously obsessed because they smell sooo yummy, and they’ve brought my family better health and wellness! Woodsy Smells are my current favorite. Most of them keep me focused and relaxed. Cedarwood, Vetiver and Lavender are what you’ll find diffusing in my bedroom diffuser almost every night because they promote a relaxing, deep sleep.#YLEOs #YLlifestyle #YourOilyFREEK DIFFUSING. My #1 Favorite way to use Essential Oils is through Diffusing. They make our home smell so good, help set the mood and keep #MyBoy asleep all. night. long. Currently, I’m diffusing Lime and Northern Lights Black Spruce. The citrus promotes energy, while NLBS promotes emotional, calming support! RED WINE BLENDS. I’m finally giving into the fact that I’m a wino. Who cares, right? Well, if you know me, you know I love my red wine, but my favorites are really the red blends, such as Apothic, Cocobon, Dark Horse, Primal Roots and Mmmhmm… 14 Hands. Have you tried 14 Hands? OVER. Do you like to edit photos on your phone? Do you like graphics? You’ll L.O.V.E. this app. It brings out the creative side in me and keeps me feeling creative even when I’m uninspired! SHUTTERFLY BOOKS. I started this incredibly organized and detailed baby book for #BabyT, but haven’t touched it in almost a year. Guess what? #MyBoy is almost 2. Shutterfly Books have saved my pride because I’ve been fairly consistent ordering these as a substitute for the “baby book”. Tell me what your current favorites are and why, in the comments below! #community #shopping #younglivingessentialoils
- Surviving Disappointment
Disappointment comes in all shapes and sizes, but how do we manage the emotional roller coaster? Sometimes it takes time to work through personal disappointment before one can be ready to share the experience. I am here on this topic today because I have had enough time to process my own disappointment. My family has experienced a loss, and it’s been difficult working through the emotions that come with it. What have we lost? A baby. We had a miscarriage. We want to grow our family, and after the first, long experience of trying to conceive, we were pleasantly surprised that it only took 3 months to conceive this child. I am aware of miscarriage statistics for the first trimester, so I was super hesitant to share the news of this pregnancy without confirming a heartbeat. In week 7, I started bleeding which led me to believe maybe we were going to lose the baby, but I didn’t panic knowing that some women do this throughout their pregnancies. I got in with the doctor by week 8, and we were able to confirm the pregnancy through a urine test and ultra sound. The doctor said we had a “strong heartbeat”. Blood work for thyroid and progesterone levels was next to assure I was taking care of myself. I was sent home with instructions to take it easy, but I was confident this baby was okay, after hearing and seeing such a strong heartbeat. Within 24 hours, I received a call from my nurse saying that I had low progesterone levels and needed to pick up and start a prescription right away. Of course. I felt great, never had any severe cramping or other symptoms of miscarriage, and within a week of starting this prescription, I stopped bleeding. I was so thankful and excited about my next appointment. In week 10, I went back to the doctor. (Might I add, I took #MyBoy. I told him we were going to see our baby on the TV!) As soon as the doctor started the ultra sound, I started to panic and with a gasp said, “I don’t see anything.” He replied, “I don’t either.” Immediately, I felt loss, sadness, disappointment, and I felt guilt for having my son with me to witness the emotions that followed. “How could I have missed this?” “How could this happen without me knowing?” They put me in a private room where I was given time to collect my emotions. The doctor then came in to explain why miscarriages happen and tried to reassure me that this wasn’t my fault. He answered other questions that I had, and closed with the fact that we could try again after having one full cycle. The days that followed were hard and super sad. My husband was out of town for work. Until he was able to put his arms around me, I was not truly able to start healing. I guess I needed to share the loss with him first. I’m thankful my family was nearby and sensitive to my needs, surrounding me with space, childcare, support, but mostly love. Within a few weeks, I had some previously scheduled time with some of my closest girlfriends too. Wow! God knows our needs! Some might think that I’ve recovered quickly. Does that mean I am not sad enough? Does that mean I don’t feel a loss, or that I have used a few coping methods that helped me sort through the emotions quickly? Let me clarify. I don’t think I’ll ever recover from this loss. I’ll never forget, but here is what I can tell you has been helpful for me to sort through the emotions and keep my positive outlook. Prayer. Often, we want to ask God “why?” Never, in the past, has this given me the answers I was needing, so I have learned to trust Him; to trust His purpose & plan, even when I don’t know it nor understand it. I continue to pray that God gives me the will to take care of my family, understanding that His reasons are the best for my earthly family, and strength to smile and provide a happy environment for #MyBoy. He has blessed me with one child who depends on me, and needs me to love him, care for him, and teach him how to survive in this world in which we live… and it comes with sadness and sorrow. I pray that I navigate it gracefully. Writing. I have always used a journal for my thoughts, but if you’re reading this, you see that I’m starting to share my thoughts with the world through blogging too. It’s therapeutic to discover your feelings are shared by others and you’re not a lone in this world. When you first experience that your story positively affects someone else, it feels right… then you keep doing it! I thought about keeping this experience to myself, or waiting until we possibly conceive again. None of that felt authentic to myself. If others can add words that will help console my emotions, I need them. If my share helps others through their own loss, I want them to have my support. Last, I did not want to share this after successfully conceiving again because I didn’t want to take away from the rawness of these emotions and my experience. Essential Oils. I immediately looked up which oils to use after the loss of a loved one. Forgiveness and Ylang Ylang were listed, so I diffused them for 2-3 days straight. No Doubt, I believe they helped me sort through the sadness and roller coaster of emotions that immediately followed the news of our miscarriage. My family later informed me of the moment they knew I would be okay. It was about a week and a half after I received the news. Of course, we all need time to process, to cope, but I am not sure I would be ready to share this story, if I had not gone through this process of surviving disappointment. If you have experienced disappointment and need me to remember you in my prayers or want to share the coping methods that helped you process disappointment, please share in the comments below. XOXO, TT #community #faith #motherhood #younglivingessentialoils
- Clean Homemade Laundry Detergent
I’m sure you had a similar experience which may have brought you here today, or maybe not, but here’s a little bit about why I’ve been searching for the best homemade laundry detergent. I had already swapped us from a more typical detergent to a Free & Clear detergent, prior to baby’s arrival, because my skin was so sensitive during pregnancy. I began evaluating all the products that we use, seeking cleaner, less toxic, less chemically enhanced products. A you may know, I’ve been using essential oils for quite sometime. Since furthering my education about what essential oils can do for us, I’ve been on a DIY path that keeps me looking for the next product to make at home. Last year, I made our first homemade laundry detergent. It was basic & clean. It worked sufficiently for my laundry and that of #MyBoy. (Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, Arm & Hammer Washing Soda combined with Castile Soap… that’s it.) However, it left my husband’s work clothes smelling a little dirty (like when you can’t wash the smell of motor oil out of a rag or your mechanic husband’s clothes… ever!). One batch lasted me 10 months, proof of big cost savings as my previous detergents had to be replaced every month. That, I liked, even though the savings was a bonus. However, if I was going to continue investing the time into my own batch, it needed to work on my husband’s stinky work clothes too. After some research about what products are clean, but actually do a good job cleaning, I heard about the EWG Guide to Healthy Cleaning. Amazing. I was able to confirm the first three products I was using all received a rating of A (best). So, I was left to find an additional product with a good rating that I could add to my recipe which would also help clean my husband’s clothes. Hot dang, I found it. Who’s heard of Oxiclean? Well, don’t be mistaken. Regular Oxiclean is rated at an F (worst). However, OxiClean Baby or OxiClean Free got rated with an A. So, I took the gamble that one of these A rated products would do the job for me, and it withstood my test. *This detergent is naturally low foaming, which means it can be used in both standard and HE machines. WIN!!! **Know your environment. Protect your health. Check the rating of your products at EWG.org. ***Grab washing soda like I used here. Get baking soda in bulk here. Get your Kirk's Original Coco Castile Soap like I use here. OxiClean Baby is quite hard to find; order in advance here. I rarely add epsom salt to my recipe anymore, but when I do I buy it in bulk from Sam's Club. However, for quick access, follow this link. Now that I’ve shared my list of ingredients, and sampled it for several weeks to prove it provides the results that I want, who wants to know how to put it together? Well, here are the directions: Shred / Grate Castile Soap into very small bits. (I used the grater attachment for my food processor. After grating, I added 1/2-1 cup of baking soda to the food processor and pulsed it with the blade. This process helped take it down to a powder form.) NOTE: I did not have any remaining scent in my food processor after washing. Mix the remaining ingredients into a large container, stirring well. Optional: Add up to 28 oz. of Epsom Salt soaked in essential oils for a natural softener and laundry scent. Add 1 tbsp (no more than 2 tbsp) of detergent per load of laundry. It takes less than a commercial grade detergent because there are no fillers. TIPS: If you haven’t use white vinegar as a safe and effective laundry softener, try it. Here is a recipe that I use and love with essential oils for scent. Purchase Wool Dryer Balls for static removal, and add essential oils for an added scent boost. Stain Remover Tips: I also have a bleach replacement system without scary chemicals. It’s called Thieves Household Cleaner. Directions: Put Thieves Household Cleaner (undiluted) directly on the stain. Add to Washing Machine and run through a Soak Cycle with like colors using 2 tbsp of homemade laundry detergent (mentioned above) + 1 cap of Thieves Household Cleaner. Without running the load through a Rinse Cycle, run it through a Regular Cycle. Wallah! Clothes are clean again! Like my recipes? Subscribe to my blog or follow me on Facebook and never miss a tip. Have questions or feedback, please respond in the comments below. XOXO, TT #community #toxicfreeliving #younglivingessentialoils
- How to Make the Best Burger from Leftovers
Do you watch cooking shows? I have been letting it play in the background as I work lately. Oh my goodness, it’s hard not to get sucked in because these chefs and junior chefs are so inspirational and creative. Since Haylie Duff received her great grandmother’s cookbook from her dad, she’s found a love for cooking and is now serving up a fresh approach. If you haven’t seen any of her television series related to cooking, you should check it out. Today, I got inspired while watching Haylie’s America. After all it was almost lunchtime, so I headed to the kitchen to see what I had to work with. I found: a leftover, cooked Bubba Burger jalapeno cheese diced onion cut avocado sliced tomato spinach raw, sliced potato chips a bun ranch dressing ketchup mustard barbecue sauce Tabasco These ingredients screamed specialty burger. Let’s do this! First, I threw some diced onion in a pan with a little avocado oil. While these were caramelizing, I threw some raw, sliced potato chips on a pan and popped them in the oven on 350 degrees. I actually used too much avocado oil on the onions, so I fried a few chips with the onions before adding them to the pan in the oven – just for a little extra crisp, if you know what I mean. Next, you want to set the onions aside and melt some cheese on top of the bubba burger. Butter the bun and prepare it for grilling. While your meat is heating and cheese melting, mix your sauce. This sauce made the burger… I can’t tell you how much of each sauce I used, so be sure to mix these ingredients one at a time, in this order and taste between each ingredient. You should like the flavor at each tasting. I mixed ranch and ketchup first, until I liked the flavor. Next, I added barbecue sauce and 4 drops of tabasco for a little kick. Since it was missing something, I put in a little mustard too. It still wasn’t right, so I added a bit of ketchup until I got the right flavor. Mmm! I knew this was gonna be a good burger, once I completed this sauce. After the cheese and burger were melted, I toasted the buttered bun on the stove top, where I grilled the onions, heated the burger and melted the cheese. And once the bun was grilled, it was time to assemble this baby… Pull the chips from the oven, as long as they are crispy enough, dusting with a little sea salt. To assemble the burger exactly as I did, add grilled onion to the bottom half of the bun, add the burger with cheese, top with avocado and tomato, then drizzle a layer of sauce. Next add a few chips, drizzle another layer of sauce, top with spinach, close it with the top bun, and ENJOY! At first bite, I knew I’d made a winner burger. To add a little more flavor to my homemade chips, I dipped them in the leftover sauce. The combination of flavors required that I share this recipe with you. Might be a lot of work to make for more than a few people, but, nonetheless, it’s a tasty way to enjoy a leftover burger. When you decide to try this recipe, please come back and comment below. If you find a way to improve it, let us know that too! #cooking #diet
- What’s Your Season?
Seasons of Life! We have many and my current season is parenting. Like anyone else, I don’t want to do it alone. I’m not talking about needing a husband to help. I’ve got one of those, and he’s good at doing it with me. I mean, the need or desire to surround myself with other moms who understand the ups & downs of this season. I’ve been blessed with friends. Don’t think that I’m having a pity party for someone to come befriend me. I’m blessed with great friends. However, my best friends & I have each written our own, different stories. We’ve done our seasons in a different order than each other, not to mention, none of us live within 20 minutes of each other. So, I’m talking about needing a local circle of people to mommy with. I’m not the first with this need, so go ahead and stop making that face. I just might be one of the few to say it out loud!! What am I gonna do about it though? I’m going to be intentional, that’s what! I’m intentionally being friendlier, putting myself out there, seeking opportunities to make friends with other moms in the same season of life as I. It’s funny. Until #MyBoy was almost two, I didn’t realize this need would come. We lived in our own little world as best friends. We did everything together. We slept at the same time, ate together, and even played together. Then, he needed friends. He wanted to interact with people his own age, and time with mommy wasn’t as sufficient. Now, I probably did have a little pity party about that for a hot minute, but once I understood and got use to the idea of helping him make new friends, I realized this was gonna benefit me too. I’d get a new friend or two out of the deal, if I’m lucky. Last month, I visited MOPS of Newnan. Guess what? I love it. This Friday, I’ll be joining. I’ll be a member of Mothers of Pre-Schoolers, a room full of lovely ladies who are in the same season of life as me. I’m excited, but it doesn’t mean that I won’t have any work ahead of me. As a matter of fact, we had a great speaker at our last meeting. Melanie Dale. She’s the author of “Women Are Scary: The Totally Awkward Adventure of Finding Mom Friends“. Now, I’m laughing my way through this well-written, funny dialog of what the next year of my life is probably going to look like. She describes meeting new mom friends as a dating scene, having to go through all four bases again. Of course, these bases are different than when I was dating to find a husband, but they are non-the-less bases that you go through when meeting new friends. Again, I’m blessed to already have fourth-base-friends, but I’m looking forward to going through these bases with new mom friends who will share parenthood with me in this season of my life. If you have a funny story about mom-dating, I’d love to hear it. If you want to start a dialog about your current season of life, get the conversation started. Share with me by commenting below. If you want to get your hands on Melanie’s book, find her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Actually, I’m sure she will be glad for you to become the proud owner of either one of her books by purchasing them from Unexpected.org. That’s right! I did buy both of her books, so when I wrap up her first, I’ll dive in to book #2, “It’s Not Fair: Learning to Love the Life You Didn’t Choose“. 33.1799574-84.7002041 #community #motherhood
- Celebrating a Special Second
#MYBOY IS TWO COOL After throwing a killer first birthday for my son last year, we had such a hard time deciding what to do for his second. Who wants an invite? Who will have hurt feelings if they don’t get an invite? How many years is the party really for the parents vs the kiddo? Well, we decided it was already time to real it in. We kept it to immediate family and our kiddo’s besties, and here’s hoping we didn’t hurt any of our dear friend’s feelings… We love you all! Since the kid loves water, we did a little slip-n-slide themed party, and the kiddos (young and older) helped him celebrate by getting real wet!!! #PARTOFMEWANTEDINONTHEACTION We are so blessed to have such an amazing circle of family who drove from near and far to celebrate our boy! I feel he is worth your miles, and I hope you enjoyed your time with us as much as we enjoyed our time with you!!! It’s funny; Rhett has been going through this shy phase. So, if you’ve seen him act a little clingy towards his mama this summer, I hope you’ve not taken it personally. Stick around for ten or fifteen minutes and he’ll be your best friend. …and by the way, he’s growing into all his toys. He loves them all, and we appreciate you helping provide him with such a variety! Before I enter another part of the story from his birthday party, I want to stop and mention some of my favorite things about this kid of mine. He has called me “Mama Mine” for almost a year; it’s just recently turning into “Mama” or “Mommy”. It’s pretty sweet to hear him say “Dadeeeee”, especially when TBone’s out of town and we FaceTime him. He calls his puppy, Chevy, “Sheee”. He is starting to refer to himself in third person, finger pointing at himself and saying “Rhee”. He loves the outdoors. He wants to be outside ALL DAY LONG. He wants to hunt with his daddy already. “Dee” “Dadeeeee” “Rhee” “Bye Bye” Though sometimes a little jealousy creeps in (*wink*wink*), I love how much he loves his Lollee. “LaLaLaLaLaLa” He can name all his grandparents and almost all his cousins, though the pronunciation is not perfect, it’s sweet to hear him try. Overall, he’s a pretty good kid, and I could not be more in love with another human being… TBone, except for you!! All right… since the news has already been shared about us being pregnant and losing the baby, I’m gonna go ahead and share some fun pictures that I was able to capture when we shared our pregnancy news with these party guests. I mean, if you’ve got a house full of your closest, why not surprise them with an exciting announcement! Right? If I may, I’ll set the stage. I had everyone surrounding the birthday boy for pictures. I made a few signs to make sure I was acting like myself. After we did candles, I said, “Oh wait, let’s get a few more shots with these signs.” I pulled out one that said, “Hootie Who, Rhett’s Two!” Cute… haha… pics taken. Then, “Oh wait, I have one more!” As I passed this sign across the table for everyone to read, I was trying to capture facial expressions because it was the announcement. It said, “Only Child EXPIRING February 2017”. Check out these priceless photos… This was a lot of fun, but weirdly… I got so nervous. I was shaking and strangely worried about the response. Anyway, this announcement is a piece of our story. Though we’re extremely disappointed that our son’s “only child status” is no longer expiring in February of 2017, I couldn’t help but share this part of the day. Once again, thank you so much for sharing in our day and for loving us through the ups and downs of life. We are continue to pray for two more feet in our family, and would be more than honored for you to pray about this with us! If you want to see more pictures from this birthday event, please visit Photography by TT, and if you were at this party and want to leave a note for his birthday book that wasn’t ready, please leave it in the comments below for me to transfer to the book. Until next time… XOXO, TT 33.1799574-84.7002041 #faith #motherhood
- Best Daddy Ever
It took us so many years to get ready for babies, then we wanted one overnight. (Like that happens for anyone!) Four years later, we finally conceived our first child. #MyBoy has been the greatest gift ever, and I can only thank one person for that gift. My dear hubby! (Okay, if God were still in human form, I would thank Him too, just like I do everyday in my prayers!) Would you look at these faces? God has truly blessed me with two of the most amazing boys I could ever ask to have in my life. My husband takes care of us, working hard (mostly in the hot Georgia heat) so I can stay at home with this boy, he supports me, he is my voice of reason, and he keeps us laughing! So, today, I wish him the happiest of Father’s Day – his second with boy in arms! I want to thank him for sharing this life with us and making parenthood possible for me. Happiness means so much more! Happy Father’s Day, TBone! I love you! XOXO, TT #community #motherhood