-
Surround Yourself with Great People | Positive Influences for Happier Life
Do you know people that are constantly negative? Don’t smile, or laugh easily? They see the glass half full all of the time. Do you follow those people on your social media? It is easy to get sucked into that environment if we aren’t careful. Surround yourself with great people; it is these positive influences that lead to a happier life. How resilient you are by the influences of others will vary from person to person. There are people that just ooze sunshine all of the time. I personally am in awe of these people. They seem to be always happy and bring light into the world where ever they go.…
-
It Takes a Village to Raise a Child | Learning to Ask for Help
Busy parents do their best to make sure everybody gets to where they need to be on time. There are times though that life hands you a curve ball, and we need help from someone else. This is when it takes a village. Learning to ask for help can be hard, but this simple task helped my kids more than I thought possible. Growing up in a small farm community, I was always told of days when farmers would help their neighbors get the crops off the field. They would come together and help each other out in times of need. People would look out for each other. They had…
-
Vacations for Two | Level Up Your Normal Quality Time
It took years for my husband to convince me to take a vacation without the kids, but trust me there is nothing better than taking that vacation for two! Finding a way to tune out the chaos for a bit, is amazing. Vacations for two will level up your normal quality time with your spouse; date nights can’t compare. Growing up some of the best memories I had were vacations with the family. We didn’t go far, mostly camping, but we were together. My husband grew up in a similar environment, so it was natural for us to always bring the kids with us everywhere. Letting Fears Stop You It…
-
How to Grow a Strong Marriage | Staying on the Same Page for over 25 Years
We were 19 and 20 when we married and it will be 27 years ago next month. Life hasn’t been perfect but through everything, our marriage is stronger than ever. Over the years, friends have asked how we did it, what is our secret? We don’t have a secret, because I’m willing to tell anyone what works for us; how to grow a strong marriage. Have you ever felt like you were roommates with your partner? You live together, raise the kids together, pay bills, fix up the house, clean the house, and do the yard work. Life goes on, but there isn’t a connection. You are two adults living…
-
How to Find Quiet Moments When You Are a Busy Mom | Learn to be in the moment
When you lead a busy life, there are distractions and obligations around you constantly. It is easy to fall into a habit of multi-tasking everything. You are thinking of your to-do list while you are working on a project report. While folding laundry you are planning your meals for the week. The truth is our minds never stop planning for future events or feeling guilty of what we missed doing. Learning how to find quiet moments will help us enjoy life again. When I first started reading about mindful moments and taking quiet time, I honestly thought it was impossible to do. What mom can go to the bathroom by…
-
Emotional Self-Awareness Creates Simple Life| Figure Out Where to Start
You have to work late again, to finish that project report that is due tomorrow morning. This isn’t the first time this week you’ve worked late at the office. In fact, over the last year, you have had to work late more often, and you even bring work home with you. You feel tired, frustrated, and guilty. The guilt of work taking time away from your family never goes away. You get home after that long day and stuff is everywhere. You step over the pile of shoes at the doorway and cringe at the mess. Dishes aren’t done. Flyers are on the kitchen island, along with everything else it…
-
Workplace Improvements Start with Empathetic Listening | Learning to Listen for Improvements
Hear no Evil, See no Evil, Speak no Evil doesn’t work so well for business. Problems happen, but it is how you address those problems that will matter. Do people listen, or are they making a snap judgment on what they think is happening? How engaged are people in their jobs? Workplace improvements start with empathetic listening; learning to listen for improvements. When you are able to help people with their work frustrations, you will build both morale and trust within the workforce. People want to do their best work, but don’t always feel empowered to make the improvements to make it better. Listening for improvement opportunities is one of…
-
Connecting with Others is Necessary for Everyone, Introverts Too!
Feeling connected to others is a core need for everyone. We all need to feel love, to feel understood, to not feel lonely. One of the best ways to improve your mind space and overall well-being is connecting with others, even if you are an introvert. Mental Health studies are now saying that feeling a connection with someone ranks higher than any other change to your healthy lifestyle. You read that correctly. Feeling that connection with someone has the single biggest impact on your health and well-being than if you were to quit smoking, change your eating habits, or start exercising. Connecting with others improves your happiness, and happy people tend…
-
Kid-Friendly Morning Routine | Morning Routine that Fixed my Forgetful Kid
The typical morning routine consisted of watching television and then ended with her scrambling to try and remember everything she needed for school and her afternoon dance classes. She was stressed every morning and would end up running home during her short lunch because she forgot something. As the school year went on, her stress levels increased and she was burning out quickly. One morning I sat her down and we came up with this kid-friendly morning routine, one that would help fix my forgetful kid. The Hard Truth We sat down and talked about how she woke up really early in the mornings, but still continued to forget things. In this…
-
A Simple Family Communication Center that Works | Simple DIY for Busy Parents
When you’re juggling kid’s school schedules and live in a busy home it is easy to forget important dates even if they are on the schedule. Important dates to remember, mail and forms laying around, and no one knows what to do for dinner at the last minute. This simple family communication center is a DIY must do! Chaos was a daily occurrence in our home until I found this idea on Pinterest, and figured out how to make it work for our family! The Pinterest idea that I used to gather inspiration was a command center for the family. It included baskets for different items, a calendar, and a…