Why I Love Being a SAHM

I am a stay-at-home mom and I have been in a rut lately. It seems all I can do is sit around and dwell on the negative; I either feel bored, stressed or under-appreciated, but today I had to slap myself,  I want to stay home with my kids and I would be heartbroken if I wasn't able to. Many people aren't afforded this luxury and I don't want to take it for granted, so in an effort to bring some positivity into my life, here are the top 10 reasons I love being a SAHM.

1. I don't miss out on anything.

Their first words, their first steps, their first time going in the potty (he will go in the potty every time he needs to eventually, right?), their first time telling me "No!", their first time spreading their poop on the walls, well...you get the idea.

2. I can stay in my pajamas all day.

As I write this, one of my kids is mad at me because I won't let him build a tower out of our dining room chairs. I just got done scrubbing poop out of the carpet and I'm on my 4th cup of coffee because my kids woke up 7 times last night, BUT I'm wearing yoga pants and a sweatshirt, so at least I am comfy!

3. I can run all my errands during the day.

It's not always easy lugging my small children with me, fighting with them over sitting in the cart and constantly reminding them not to pee in their Lightning McQueen underwear. However, I feel super accomplished after one of these trips and I am always so glad to have it all done by nap time.

4. I can get all the housework done during the day.

Well, I try anyway. Some days I really do get stuff done, but most days I just give up, turn the lights off and pretend it's clean. Eating dinner by candlelight is fun, right?

5. I can take naps with my kids.

Oh my gosh, this is the best part about being a SAHM, and possibly why I don't actually get any housework done.

6. I can make home cooked, nutritious meals for my family.

Or I at least have the option. See numbers 4 & 5.

7. I don't have to work for anyone else (besides my kids).

I get to be the boss, I set the schedule and make the rules. Although my kids are demanding and I constantly wonder if I'm doing right by them, they are super quick to forgive and they really, really love me. Also, my co-worker is hot.

8. Life is short and it goes by so fast.

Despite most days going by so freaking slow, there is a weird time warp thing that makes the years go by unbelievably fast (totally scientific). Sleeping time goes by fast too, that lasts about 10 seconds. Point is, I can't get this time back, so until someone invents a way to pause time whenever I feel like it, I want to soak up as much as I can.

9. I can do what I want, when I want (as long as my kids are with me).

We can walk through Target, we can go for a drive to get a latte, we can visit friends and family, I can work on my blog or start a DIY project, I can even sometimes sneak in a TV show during the day. I can cuddle with my kids, play games and do puzzles. We can watch movies and have a lazy day, or go outside and play; there are so many options, I just have to take advantage of them.

10. It is fulfilling. 

This is what I have always wanted, being a SAHM has always been my dream; I honestly never imagined anything different. I really do want my days to be loud, chaotic, messy and beautiful. I truly feel like I'm exactly where I am supposed to be. It may seem crazy to some people, and that is okay, it isn't for everyone, but I am thankful and blessed with this life and I pray it never has to change! (Seriously, someone invent that time-altering remote!)

Disclaimer: I am in absolute awe of working parents, I think you are amazing and I don't know how you do it all!

 

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No Frump Fridays! (On a Monday?)

In theory, it seems that as a SAHM, I should have more time to get ready each day, to put on some makeup, fix my hair, get dressed in something besides yoga pants etc. I have a friend who lives in the same apartment complex as us, she has a baby and a toddler to get ready every morning. She has lunches to pack, bottles to wash, diapers to change etc. etc. etc., but yet she is always super cute and put together for the work day, if she can do that, what is my excuse?! Honestly, I think my main problem is that it isn't very motivating to get ready with no place to go, but every day I look in the mirror and feel like a frumpy, stain covered, last-night's-yoga-pants-wearing Mom. I would really like to change this, not just for myself but because I think my husband and kids deserve to live with someone that doesn't look like she just stepped out of a "People of Walmart" video.
I have been watching a lot of beauty YouTube videos lately and really feeling inspired to be a little less frump Mom and a little bit more hot Mom.
My new favorite routine (ok, so I have done it three times so far, probably not quite considered my "routine" yet), is showering at night and fixing my hair after everyone else is in bed. I watch half of a show while my hair partially air dries, then I blow dry it as straight as possible, and then I sit on the floor in the living room and run the straightener through it really quick while I finish my show. For obvious reasons, this takes me so much less time than when my little ones are awake, it doesn't cut into time with my hubby and it doesn't feel like much work because I watch TV while I do it. I'm always much more motivated at night, too. For some reason, it's also a little bit easier to get up in the morning knowing all I have to do is brush my hair and wash my face and I will already be a step above most other days in the looks department.
I am thinking of starting 'No Frump Fridays' or something like that (the title needs some work, especially since today is Monday). It really isn't that hard to do just a few things to make myself feel better each day, I have made some goals to help me do that and I'll be sharing them with you over the next few weeks! What are some things you do to help you look and feel your best-ish? Do you have any beauty tips for me and my readers? What is a really awesome YouTube channel or blog to follow with quick beauty stuff for busy Moms? I'm really excited for this new series and also for this Mama to start looking and feeling a little better each day.

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I Don't Know How Many Kids We Are Going To Have

My son stopped sleeping this week, like really just stopped. I think he is probably a super hero and his super power just revealed itself and that power is that he doesn't need sleep, in fact while the rest of the world is sleeping, he gets more energy and super speed. I put him to bed, crawl into my own bed, roll over and there he is standing there looking at me in the face. It's freaky and I don't know how he does it. We are going to have to take him into hiding soon so we don't end up in a real life scene from E.T., being chased by the government in their scary spacesuits. Anyway, all that to say I AM TIRED. After a night of zero sleep, I decided it was a good idea to take both boys with me to Target after nap time (I use the word "nap" loosely) to take advantage of their baby sale and get 4 giant boxes of diapers and kill time. I knew if we stayed home and I stopped moving, my eyes would close and my children would burn the house down around me. Did you know that it's hard to fit two toddlers in a cart with 4 giant boxes of diapers and other necessities? (Ya, I went in for diapers but it's Target, so you know I left with more than just diapers). Also, my oldest son figured out how to open his car door, the car wasn't moving but we were in the parking lot and I was putting the groceries in the trunk, no one was harmed but I did come close to having a heart attack. This entire Target run didn't turn out at all how I imagined it would and it was one of the more overwhelming outings we have been on. I'll spare you all the details but let's just say it all came down to the drive home when I realized I didn't even have bedtime to look forward to tonight because of my son's new super ability to stay up all night and appear at my bedside out of nowhere. All the sudden it hit me, along with hot tears that turned into an ugly cry, I can never have more kids. I'm maxed out, this is it, my childbearing years are over, I'll never get a last time being pregnant and know it is my last time being pregnant. I'll never get a girl, I'll never get to help my daughter get ready for prom, or buy her tampons, or go shopping for her wedding dress. Life as I pictured it is over, I'm just a worn out mom of two boys. I really want more kids but I'll never be able to have them because I can't even handle the ones I have. 
So....that escalated quickly.
The truth is, there are days when I find myself thinking that we made a big mistake having two kids. We really aren't good at this, it's too hard, what if we mess them up?
Then other days I think that two is the perfect number! I just love our family dynamic so much, they play with each other so well and are never bored because they have each other! We were meant to have two, two is the exact number that we can handle and we are really good at parenting two kids!
Other days I think that we are such cool and awesome parents, we are totally rocking at this raising kids thing and we should have at least five more!
Then there was today, after I had my melodramatic meltdown, I had an epiphany, it's like a light bulb turned on in my brain, seriously it is so brilliant: I don't have to know right now how many kids I'm going to have.
Say whaaaaat? You heard me. I know, but everyone is always asking things like:
Are you going to have more?
When are you going to try for a girl?
I can't believe you aren't pregnant again yet. 
You're done having kids right?
Are you on birth control?
etc. etc. etc. 
I usually have some long drawn out answer about how we meant to wait longer between our first two kids but since they're so close together we are going to wait even longer for a 3rd, unless it just happens before that because we aren't completely in control of these things. We want to wait until my husband is done with college or until the two kids we already have leave for college (or are at least potty trained), but we think we probably want 3 or 4 eventually.
As of today, I have a new answer for those people, "We have no idea, and you will probably find out when we do."

It can go one of two ways, either we will have more kids or we won't. It isn't something we have to know. Besides, if there is one thing I have learned in these 26 1/2 years I have been on this earth, it is that our plans never go the way we envision them. If they did, I would be a smokin' hot Mama with perfect kids and a perfect marriage, I would be able to bake like Betty Crocker, rock a string bikini, get plenty of sleep and have lots of free time that I don't know what to do with. The truth is, I don't know what's going to happen. Even if we knew for sure that we wanted to have two more kids, we could end up not having any more and even if we knew for sure that we didn't want anymore, we could end up with two more. We just don't know. I don't mind when people ask about our plans for having more babies, I really don't, but in all honesty, we don't have any real plans and I'm learning that it's okay to just not know right now. It really isn't up to us anyway.

Photo Credit: Mel Reynolds

Our family may or may not be complete yet, but it is complete for now. 

Please feel free to 'like' and 'share' my posts, I really appreciate it when you do. I'm not saying I check all day long to see how many people enjoyed my posts, but I'm not saying I don't either.

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I Have Been Mom Judging

I spent the last two days seriously judging a mom I know very well. I know I shouldn't, but she just makes it so incredibly easy. Just read some of the things she does:

She didn't have her babies naturally and she stopped breastfeeding really early.

She gave her toddlers donuts for a snack before nap time. DONUTS.

She also gave them apple juice before bed.

She yelled at her son when he spilled her coffee.

She still gives her one-year-old a bottle.

Her three-year-old is still in diapers.

I saw her kids run away from her outside more than once this week. She chased them while spilling all the contents of her purse and stepping on the ends of her yoga pants which she is always wearing.

She doesn't shower every day.

She hid in the kitchen eating peanut butter M&M's while her one-year-old threw a tantrum.

She lets her kids cry it out… except when she doesn't. Couldn’t she choose a method and be consistent?

In almost every picture she posts on Facebook her kids aren’t wearing any clothes.

She puts her kids in a Super Play Yard which is basically baby jail.

I saw her kids spill Cheerios all over the floor and then EAT THEM!

She unashamedly bribes her kids in public with cookies.

She fell asleep on the couch while her kids were sitting in front of the TV, in baby jail, eating cheerios off the floor.

Her son would not stop standing up in the cart at the grocery store while her other son kept trying to open—and probably wanted to drink—the bottle of shampoo they were buying.

At every meal, her oldest son cries because he has to eat—unless she is giving him donuts.

She drinks Diet Coke every day.

Her apartment is usually messy. It is decorated solely in random do-it-yourself "art" and none of her furniture matches.

She keeps saying she is going to start working out or go on a diet, but I haven't seen any difference in her figure at all. Her clothes are plain and she needs a haircut.

Her family is always late to church and half the time they don't even make it at all.

Her one-year-old sometimes still wakes up at night and takes a really long time to fall asleep.

She hates going to the park and, since they don't have a yard, she rarely takes her kids outside to play.

She longs for alone time and sometimes wishes she could just have a couple days without her kids. Why does she need alone time? She is a Stay-At-Home Mom. She gets to wear yoga pants all day and doze on the couch. I mean, seriously, isn't her whole life a break?

That mom I was judging sounds pretty bad, right? 

Oh yeah, that mom is ME. 

I have been so constantly worried about what other people will think of me, that I have basically been hiding. I rarely go places with my kids for fear of a temper tantrum, disobedience, or a nervous breakdown (by me). I try to keep a lot of our parenting choices a secret because I know someone will disapprove or try to give me their opinion. I won't even let my husband post a picture on Facebook if the background doesn't look clean and tidy, or if you can see my youngest drinking a bottle. My life has been so consumed by what other people will think or say that I have stopped enjoying it as much as I should. 

So my new mantra is: WHO CARES!? 

The only reason people judge or criticize other people's parenting is to make themselves feel better because deep down they know that they have flaws too. 

Also, sometimes when people give advice, it really is because they care and want to help. I don't have to follow their advice, but I can humble myself enough to listen without getting defensive. 

At the end of the day, I am my children's mother. I am the one who is entrusted to take care of them, and I am motivated because I want what is best for them. The choices my husband and I make for our children are our's alone to make. There is no one else who can take care of them or understand their needs better. 

I may not be perfect, but I am a GOOD mom, and I really do know that. (If I was a bad mom I probably wouldn't even care about these things.) So, from now on, others can criticize and analyze my parenting all they want. 

I even helped them out by writing this list.

Please feel free to 'like' and 'share' my posts, I really appreciate it when you do. I'm not saying I check all day long to see how many people enjoyed my posts, but I'm not saying I don't either. 

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6 ways to go back to your 'New Love Days', if you really want to.

Remember the days when you were first dating your husband? The little butterflies you got when he sent you a text in the morning, or picked you up for a date, or posted something sweet about you on Facebook? Then there was the honeymoon stage after your wedding, you know where you were just floating on a pillow of love above the clouds, just happy as can be? Then came toilet seats left up, lights left on, dishes left in the sink, garbage not taken out, laundry not done, soda cans left laying around the living room, chewing too loudly, looking at each other the wrong way, a coffee addiction that breaks the bank and of course, a baby (or 2 or 3 or 4...). Things change, those love-dovey-floaty days seem like decades ago, and honestly I'm glad we came back down to earth, but sometimes, it would be nice to go back to those days. Here are some tips on how to stay in  visit the 'Newlywed days'.

1. Hold hands whenever you're together.
I know this is tricky now, I mean between changing diapers, chasing toddlers, potty training, getting up in the middle of the night to comfort after a bad dream, tripping over toys, etc. but if you are really committed to it, you can figure out a way to do all these things together, while still holding hands like you used to do. In fact, maybe just try handcuffing your wrists to each other, it could make a really good bonding exercise for sure, no way you could come out of that hating each other, am I right?

2. Send each other texts every 30 seconds and use lots of emojis.
Nothing lets your hubby know you're thinking of him like a little heart text, show you're flirting with a winky face and if you really want to up the ante, send him a happy face with hearts for the eyes! I know it might be hard to do stay glued to your phone all day with all the demands your children bring, but just turn on a movie, they will be fine.

3.Talk about each other constantly, to everyone you know.
Every one loves it when their friends can't stop gushing over their man, in fact, if you feel like you have started to lose friends lately, it probably isn't because you have to multitask them into your crazy mom schedule; it's really because they miss hearing you talk about nothing besides how in love you are. So for a little while, just resist the urge to talk about your kids to your friends, put away the baby photos and show them how handsome your hunk of a husband is and then gush to them about all the wonderful things he does for you, don't forget to exaggerate!

4. Post sweet things about him on Facebook.
Don't you remember the days when all you wrote about online was each other? (Maybe it was MySpace back then, but some things are better left in the past.) Make sure to include lots of emoticons in these as well, and as many complimenting adjectives as possible. I know you really want to post that funny thing your toddler said and a picture of him with food all over his face, but resist the urge.

5. Don't let him see you without make up on or your hair fixed.
I know it's hard to get a few free minutes to look at the mirror instead of focusing all your attention on your kids, but are they really hurting anything by climbing up into the sink or throwing random stuff into the bathtub? Is it really a big deal if they pour baby powder all over the floor or write on the walls with your lipstick? Looking good takes sacrifice. I guess if it's really too hard to get ready while your kids are awake, just get up before them, make sure you allow plenty of time in case the sound of your blow dryer wakes the kids up early...4am sound good?

6. Do NOT pee in front of each other.
Finally, just keep some things private. Keep the mystery alive at least a little bit and don't share the bathroom. Sure your hubby is in the shower, your kids just woke you up and you're doing the potty dance while simultaneously trying to change their diapers and get them breakfast, but just HOLD IT -or grab a diaper if you have to! This is the only time the hand holding is allowed to stop, by the way.

I hope this list helps you a little bit, if you're just really wanting to get back that before-kids-love-bubble you used to have, you may need to hire a full time nanny to make these things happen, but it's worth it right?!?
In reality, maybe just a weekly date night where you have real conversations about actual, important things and then watch a movie that you fall asleep during is more practical, but it's up to you.

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10 Ways to Have a Good Cleaning Day, The Hall Way!

So let's be real for a second, shall we? As moms we would love to just ignore the housework and play with our babies all day, every day. After all, there are signs on Pinterest that say, "Good mom's have sticky floors, piles of laundry, messy kitchens and happy kids." and "A clean house is the sign of a wasted life." Honestly though, if we never cleaned, it would be a little bit worse than some apple juice spilled on the floor, a few toys and some laundry. Every time someone says to me, "Ignore the housework and focus on your babies, the housework isn't going anywhere!" I want to say, "You're right, it isn't going anywhere. In fact, if I leave it alone, it is going to make it's own babies and continue to reproduce until we are all buried under it." I want to tell them that as much as my babies enjoy playing on the floor with their Mama, they would probably rather not have ants literally in their pants. My kids (and me and my husband for that matter) need clean clothes to wear, and clean dishes to eat off of, and we all prefer a home that doesn't smell like rotten milk or dirty diapers. It is a pretty picture to imagine a mom playing on the toy covered floor with her babies all day long, but that is an unrealistic fantasy. Now, I might be exaggerating a little bit about what people mean when they say "Ignore the house and enjoy your babies!" but, at some point, you HAVE to clean house, do the laundry, cook the meat that is going to go bad in your refrigerator if you don't use it like 5 minutes ago, give your babies a bath, go grocery shopping, etc. I mean, seriously, you can't just let everything you own turn to garbage because you have children. I'm not saying you need to follow your children around with a vacuum or pick up every toy they drop, but I want my children to learn the importance of having a tidy (not perfect) home, and the responsibility of cleaning up after themselves when they make a mess, in fact, I believe they deserve to learn these things. So what happens when you reach one of these can't-go-on-any-longer-without-doing-some-sort-of-housework days? It's not like your kids (especially babies) are going to give you an easy day just because you have to do some housework, you are likely to be just as tired and unmotivated as you were yesterday and if you're anything like me, the excuses and justifications for why you shouldn't cook, clean or do laundry will continue to pile up in your brain. Maybe not everyone is like me, maybe you are able to have a balance between work and play, but for me, if I let myself think that because I have kids my house can be a disaster, or that my kids can only be happy if I don't spend time cleaning, then I know it will all spiral out of control and I will literally never get anything done. In fact, I did let myself think this way the last 2 weeks, and you should have seen my laundry pile! Also there is a weird stain in the middle of my living room and I have no idea where it came from!  My personal feeling is that I should at least accomplish something daily, that my family deserves to have clean laundry and a tidy place to live and that it is important for my kids to learn the value of getting stuff done. One of my first posts was about enjoying 'those kind' of days (which are most days for me), while still getting stuff done, but this post is more for the days when you just need to have a 'work' day and get everything back under control. Let me just preface this by saying, I have only been married for less than 3 years, and I have only been a mom for 19 months, so I know that I have very little experience and don't claim to have all the answers, but this is just what works for me right now and I am changing the way I do things all the time.

1. Give myself time to wake up.  If I don't allow myself time to have a cup of coffee (or Diet Coke) and sit on the couch for a few minutes, not only will I start my day out angry and resentful (at what, I'm not sure, the day?) but it will be harder for me to get out of bed knowing that I am just going to start right in on 'work'.
2. Make a to-do list. I have a list that I printed off on my computer and put in a frame so that I can check off what I have done every day with a dry erase marker, however, I still prefer to hand write a to-do list, especially on days where I have a lot to get done. I also prefer to write my list in the order I want to do things, for example, I like to load the dishwasher first thing in the morning, then make beds. To me, these make a noticeable difference and already I feel more accomplished after checking off my first two things on the list. 
3. Plan dinner from the get-go. I always feel like the most awesomest (um..is that a word?), hard working, multitasking mom and wife at the end of my 'work' day, but that only lasts for about 2 seconds if, when I'm all done, I realize I never planned out dinner. Whether you choose to have your hubby pick up a pizza on his way home from work, order Chinese food, or are going to cook, I just recommend you have a plan at the beginning of this day. (These are just one of the many days that I am so thankful for my CrockPot!)
4. Start slow. If I am super tired and unmotivated, I usually start by just picking up a few things here and there each time I enter a room, I end up actually getting a lot of cleaning done this way and usually get on a roll and don't want to stop what I started. {My mom used to tell me to do this when I was in college and never wanted to just get going on any laundry or cleaning.} This is my go-to move because rarely, unless I am pregnant and in total nest mode (why can't that happen when I'm not pregnant?), feel like rolling up my sleeves and getting to work. In fact, while I was writing this, I needed to empty and load the dishwasher, so every time I went in the kitchen I planned to empty/load a few dishes, it only took me 3 times going in the kitchen and I had all the dishes done and the counters wiped down; all I needed was to get started and then I just didn't want to stop. 
5. Set goals for the day and allow myself a reward when I reach them. A good example of this would be: I will have the kitchen and bathrooms clean, plus one load of laundry folded by nap time, and then I can use part or all of nap time to relax/nap/watch TV/make a smoothie etc. 
6. Break up my work. Okay, so I will be honest, I am addicted to a large handful (or two) of TV shows and most days I have a few to catch up on.  I like to start a load of laundry, clean while it is running and then when it is done, I take a TV 'break' to fold it. ;) This way, I get to stop doing my cleaning every 45 minutes or so to fold laundry, which feels like a reward because I get to watch my shows while I do it! Or sometimes, I save all the laundry folding for when the kids go to bed (usually if my hubby has to work or do homework) and just have a folding/ TV marathon at the same time, it is very motivating for me! I also let myself have a diet coke with fresh lemons while I clean. ;) 
7. Have my toddler 'help'. My sweet boy loves to follow me around and lend me a hand whenever he can. I make it exciting and at the same time I am able to spend time with him, encourage him, teach and correct him while getting stuff done...it may take a little longer this way, but it is much better than the alternatives of either not spending any time with him or having a nasty, dirty and messy home.
8. Tell someone my goals for the day.  I make sure there is someone holding me accountable to all that I need to get done that day. It is so much more motivating and fun to be able to text a friend throughout the day who is rooting for you to accomplish what you have planned, especially a fellow mom who knows that it is not a simple task to have a house cleaning day with, in my case, a toddler and a baby. 
9. Allow myself to be done by dinner time, or when my husband gets home from work. Before I put them to bed, I like to play with my boys, and do their bedtime routines. I also like to hangout with my hubby when he gets home from work. If he is working late, then I usually set a goal telling myself if I have certain things done by dinner time, I can be completely done for the day, but if not, I take a break until the boys go to bed and then I  finish the rest of my goal before I quit for the day.
10. If I don't get it all done, I finish my list the next day before starting any other chores or projects. I have daily chores I like to try to get done every day, but if I haven't finished my full to-do list from my big 'work' day then I always do that before I start anything else. Of course, maintenance is the key to less overwhelming and long days, but at least with just one or two 'work' days here and there, the majority of my time is spent with my sweet boys instead. I can (and will) still have the sticky floors, and toys everywhere most of the time...but at some point, it all has to get cleaned up...ya know, so it can get messy again! ;) 

Of course, this won't always work. There will be days you intend on having big 'work' days, but one of your babies is teething, sick or just extra fussy, or your toddler is having a day where he just needs extra guidance or attention and that's okay! Personally, my main focus is that I don't want to make excuses for a messy house, piles of laundry, and sticky floors but that when I truly can get things done, I do! I know my attitude and my heart, I know when I have days that much has been accomplished (even if no one else can tell) or days when I was just lazy and unproductive for no reason. If you haven't already, please read my post '...And who won today?' To understand more of where I am coming from, and know that I do believe there are many things that are much more important than a clean house! Oh, and I do plan on making a sign for my living room that says, "Please excuse the mess, we live here." to cover all the many other days that my house is messy. ;) 

Ps: I read an awesome post by a friend the other day about Minimalism. I am super excited to try some of her great ideas, check it out here. 

If you haven't already, please 'like' Stay Home Mama on Facebook! :) 

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....and who won today?

In the age of Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, it feels like everyone is competing to be the 'best' at what they do, and then tell everyone all about it. Who does the most creative things with their kids, who spends the most time in the kitchen baking home made goods and cooking complicated meals, whose home is decorated the cutest, who makes the most DIY stuff, and it even goes further into whose kid is potty trained first, or sleeping through the night, or walking or talking, the list goes on and on. Today everything seems like a competition, no matter how hard we try, we all compare ourselves to each other, to other mom's, and wives, we even compare each other's kids. Now, I'm not going to lie, I do have my 'brag' moments from time to time, but I am a far cry from  Martha Stewart, Betty Crocker, or Mary Poppins, I can't be that many people at once, and I have stopped putting so much pressure on myself to try. I am lazy, I have to push myself to do things most people just do without a second thought, I mean, I dedicated a whole blog post to simple things that I have to force myself to do most days, and that included showering and getting dressed for goodness' sake! I think it is important to have a clean house, to make healthy dinners for your family, and to have a happy home, but what I think is the most important, is to be proud of what you do throughout the day, YOU be proud. Not your Pinterest followers, or Facebook friends, but YOU. I believe that I, personally, am the only one who knows if I have had a successful day or not, and when I have a day that I am proud of, it is also a day that is pleasing to the Lord, to my husband and to my kids. Only I know what my personal convictions are, only my husband and I know what we have agreed upon as being acceptable and measurable. Only we know what our goals are, and what roles him and I play in our family and home life. At the end of the day, only I am able to determine if I 'won' the day or not

                                                

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Clearly, no one has a perfect day, no one is perfect and we all fall short, but one can have a day that they feel good about and can go to bed feeling proud of. If I go to bed knowing that I chose to be joyful, wasn't lazy, loved my kids and my husband, and put God and my family above myself, then I can take pride in that day. There can be days that I get up early, go grocery shopping with my coupons, bring home loads of food that I barely paid anything for, scrub the house from top to bottom, do every stitch of laundry, bake enough to last us the whole week, cook a well balanced and beautiful dinner, and have both boys bathed and sound asleep by 7:30, but if I had a rotten attitude or didn't show love to my kids or husband, then I go to bed knowing I totally 'lost' that day. Comparably, I can have a day that I spend on the floor with my kids playing, laughing and teaching, as well as spend quality time with my husband, but we eat pizza for dinner and I have to throw a load of laundry in the wash before we go to bed just so we have clean underwear in the morning. If I end that night, knowing that I wasn't lazy, that I chose joy, invested in relationships and put others before myself, then I can be happy about that day. If I spend the day working on one problem with my toddler, such as him throwing fits or continuously disobeying, and nothing seems to work and it feels so discouraging, I can honestly still be satisfied with that day, as long as I did it in love and with the conviction that I did what I thought was best, even if it didn't have the success I wanted. So the next time someone posts on Facebook all that they have accomplished in the day, and you're still in your pajamas and making boxed mac'n cheese for dinner, remind yourself that only you and God know if you had a successful day today, and even if today wasn't the best, always decide before you close your eyes, tomorrow will be better! Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go get the muffins out of the oven, Betty Crocker so kindly made them for me...all I had to do was add water. ;)

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