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7 Health Benefits of Gratitude | Strengthening Your Growth Mindset
For years, journaling wasn’t time well spent for me. Why focus on the stress that happened during my day? I had this wrong. It isn’t about focusing on the negative in my life. Since then I’ve learned there are 7 health benefits of gratitude that may just help you start your gratitude journey. A few years back, I had been going through a stressful time. There were lots of work issues and instability with endless layoffs due to the economy, along with many personal feelings that I hadn’t resolved over the years. I tend to compartmentalize issues and push them aside or down just to get through my day, week,…
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A Date With Mom | Family Connections Matter
Not long ago, our life was pretty chaotic. I worked in a different city from my family and commuted home on weekends. It wasn’t easy but I was closer to my parents so that made it easier during the week. Often a date with mom eased my mind when life was too hard. It all started when I moved in with my parents while working in another city from my own family. It was an adjustment moving back in with mom and dad as an adult but we made it work. I’d come ‘home’ after work and mom would ask me about my day and we’d talk about hers as well.…
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Ultimate Stress-Busting Hacks | Simplifying Life For Busy Moms
When searching for the ultimate stress-busting hacks to help busy moms simplify their lives, I discovered that science confirmed why my own routines have worked for years. Now we just need to figure out what works for you. As a busy mom of three that also worked outside the home, I understand what it’s like to live with stress. For years I thought I worked more efficiently under stress (that was my young 20-something self). Then as life got busier and we added more kids to the family, I discovered that I needed a way to help reduce my stress. The ultimate wake-up call for me was my first anxiety…
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When Do You Find Time For Self-Care | Life As A Busy Mom
There are lots of things you can do to take care of yourself, but when do you find time for self-care? Whether you’re a working mom, a stay-at-home mom, or a work-at-home mom like me, we’re all busy. Life seems busier than ever. I often wonder how my grandmother managed, without an electric washing machine and cloth diapers. She seemed to manage just fine, but I can’t seem to find the time to shower without staying up past midnight. So how do you find time for yourself when you don’t have time to breathe? As a single, work-at-home mom of 6, here’s what I’ve learned. How To Find Time For…
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Why Santa Never Brings The Big Gift | Simplify Christmas Gift Giving
It’s that time of year where parents are trying to sort out finances, schedules, and that “what to get the kids for Christmas” list. There is so much pressure to make Christmas perfect for everyone. One of the reasons why Santa never brings the big gift in our home is to simplify Christmas gift-giving, but there was so much more to this decision. Why Santa Never Brings The Big Gift I could go into how financially our life was difficult at times because it was but in reality, this isn’t the only reason for our decision to simplify Christmas gift-giving. Christmas to us was about the family connection. We wanted that…
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Parenting perfection is over-rated | Redefine Supermom
Parenting perfection is over-rated. Why do we pretend to be right all of the time, or never admit we need help? Are you the perfect “supermom” that does it all and only breaks down behind your bedroom door quietly? I admit this was me and it was exhausting. Striving to be the perfect mom to my kids. Expecting perfection from myself and chastising myself when I ultimately failed. Then one day I snapped. The stress of work, and trying to be the perfect mom was too much. I had worn myself out and life at home was horrible. The kids were on edge all of the time and didn’t want to make…
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Asking Kids to Help Around The House | Redefine Supermom
As much as we want to be supermoms, we can’t do it all. We all need help, but asking kids to help around the house can be difficult. It doesn’t have to be a constant fight when you use this method. Seriously! This method is life-changing! The topic of delegating chores and asking kids to help around the house makes most parents cringe and hold their heads. They start to feel the stress and anxiety over arguments with the kids, and the constant struggle between the kids and themselves. I’m not saying that there won’t be some struggle in this journey but there will be less over time. I can…
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How to Simplify Camping Preparations | Family Camping Hacks
Preparing for camping trips can be a lot of work, but you can start preparing for winter storage of your equipment and simplify camping preparations for the next camping season. This simple trick helped our family when we camped in tents and trailers. It made those weekend getaways easier to prepare for after a full work week. When we started camping years ago, we had a small child and a tent. Over the years, our family grew and we still tented for many years through babies and toddlers and older children. It wasn’t until recent years that we finally bought our first trailer. Both my husband and I grew up…
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Ladies Night Out Is Great For Your Mental Health
The idea of ladies’ night out might seem impossible. Between family commitments and the constant exhaustion, who has the energy to get dressed up to go out? What if I told you that having a Ladies Night Out is great for your mental health? Making time to connect with friends is one of the best ways to improve our overall health. Studies have even proven that it is more beneficial to your health and well-being than all others. It even ranks higher than quitting smoking, exercise, and healthy eating. The Dutch have a term that they use to describe a lifestyle that focuses on comfort and connection with others. It’s called…
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Finding Fun in Your Marriage | Building Strong Marriages
Finding fun in your marriage, when life is busy, can be difficult. However, the kids will grow up and the only two people left will be the two of you. Finding ways to enjoy spending time with each other is the best way to stay connected and have a strong marriage that outlasts the empty nest. I’ve seen marriages struggle because each person has their own separate passions and they do NOTHING together. They come home from work and are in separate areas of the house and on weekends they go their separate ways with other people doing activities they personally enjoy. Marriage for these couples was easier during the…