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Join me in my daily walk through the joys and struggles of parenthood. Share a word of encouragement or be encouraged. Cry a little, laugh a lot, but know it is all in divine order.

Friday, December 31, 2021

Feel Good Friday - Beginnings - 3 Reasons to Write Down Your Goals

 


“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” -Napoleon Hill

Happy New Year! You have made it through another year, now what? Whether you have faced challenges, overcome obstacles, or had an amazing year, pat yourself on the back. You did it! Now, let’s move into the new year and make this an even better year. Think about your goals, intensions, things you want to accomplish in the coming year.

I attended a Moth Storytelling event recently. The theme for the evening was Beginnings. The people who shared stories all had a different spin on what beginnings meant for them. As you prepare to write down your goals, think about what the word beginnings means for you. Does it mean beginning a new project, a new job, a new parenting role?

Here are 3 Reasons why you should write down your goals:

1.      Motivation – you are more motivated to achieve your goals when you write them down. You are more likely to hold yourself accountable when you have this in writing.

2.      Makes your goal concrete – there is something about putting things in writing that makes it more concrete. Setting parameters and deadlines makes your goal tangible.

3.      Creates a vision in your mind – when you can see something clearly, it provides clarity and direction. Experts say we are more likely to be “productive and creative when we can identify how the goal achievement will transform our life (thriveglobal.com).”



The time is now. Put a deadline on your dream and turn it into a goal. Make this a challenge that is about you against you, don’t worry about what someone else is doing or accomplishing. It’s your turn to walk into your greatness.

Go get it!

 

Monday, December 20, 2021

Monday Musings – How to have a Hassle-Free Holiday Gathering – 3 Easy Tips


Deck the halls with friends and family, fa la,la, la la, la,la lal la. What makes the Holiday fun for you? Perhaps it’s shopping for others, volunteering, spending time with loved ones, or simply relaxing. You can experience all of these when you find balance.

Are you in charge of hosting your family gathering? Go easy on yourself and enjoy the process.

There are 3 easy ways to have a hassle-free Holiday gathering:

1.      Relax

2.      Keep it simple

3.      Make it fun

Think about the things that you find fun when you go to a family gathering and incorporate them in the event you’re planning. The Holiday season should not cause us extra stress. Make a promise to yourself that you will relax more and stress less. Do not overthink things, your guest will not think any less of you if you keep things simple.

When you combine simple and fun you have a winning combination. This year my family Christmas was a hybrid event – my brother and I were at mom’s house and the rest of the family was on Zoom. Our theme was a Pajama Party. It was simple – wear your favorite (warm) pajamas.

We played bingo, family trivia, and had a fuzzy sock, and gingerbread house contest. My family was quite the competitive group. To participate in the fuzzy sock contest, each person had to text a picture of their socks on their feet. Nothing else could be in the photo. I didn’t want any identifying factors that would sway the judge. We had first through third place winners and an honorable mention.





Construction of the gingerbread houses brought a lot of joy to the event. The houses had to be assembled during the event. After a few games of bingo, we took a 20-minute intermission to allow contestants to construct their houses. They remained on Zoom as they squeezed icing, erected walls, and added a roof. One family member even video recorded his final structure; he was one of our millennials.

Mom peaked over at my brothers’ house as she struggled to determine how close to build her walls. Exasperated she said, “I think my house was hit by a tornado, but that’s okay Jesus was a carpenter, He will take care of it.”





After looking at my nieces’ house I said, “Oh, Norma’s house must have been on the same street as yours. Her roof is missing.” As it turned out, one  of her kids had eaten the roof before a photo could be taken.

We had prizes that included things like pocket sized hand sanitizers, small decorative candles, Coco in a tin, and instant lottery tickets. It’s up to you the type prizes to offer. You could also include things like free baby sitting for a relative, offer to run errands for a day, or something else that doesn’t cost money but offers value.

Our family Pajama Party was a success for me. There was no need to dress up, not much clean-up required, and I was already dressed for bed at the end of the event.



What tips do you have for a hassle-free Holiday gathering? 

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Wednesday Wisdom - National Poinsettia Day

Photo Credit: CBS News

It's coming, National Poinsettia Day is celebrated on December 12th. Celebrate by adding a pop of color to your table or mantle with one of these beautiful plants, or share one with a friend.

Did you know...?

  • Poinsettias were one of the first Mexican exports. "Joel Roberts Poinsett was the first U.S, Ambassador to Mexico." He was a botanist from Charleston, South Carolina.
  • "Paul Ecke Jr., a farmer in California became the father of the modern day poinsettia." He discovered a grafting technique that caused the seedlings to branch.
Have you ever tasted Poinsettia Punch? The recipe says to "blend 14 ounces of cranberry juice with 20 ounces of gingerale. Add a dash of lemon juice for a citrus zing."

Information on this blog post was gathered from nationalday.com

Photo Credit: topinspired.com


What are your ideas for celebrating National Poinsettia Day?


Photo Credit:  Westwoodgardens.com

Monday, December 6, 2021

Motivational Monday – 12 Days of Kindness

 

Photo Credit: theodysseyonline.com

Are you familiar with the song, The 12 Days of Christmas? Sure you are, the first line says, “On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree.” What if…we took that same concept and called it The 12 Days of Kindness?

I wish I could say I came up with this title, but I didn’t. I saw it on Instagram. Here’s the spin I’ll put on it. Let’s create s 12 Days of Kindness Challenge. The challenge begins with being kind to yourself. Instead of a partridge in a pear tree on the first day of Christmas, the first day of kindness will be self-care for you.

Start your challenge by coming up with one positive word that represents you. On the second day of kindness, come up for two positive words for a friend, and share them with him or her in a text or email. Let the list of kindness expand from here.

Third Day of Kindness – buy a cup of coffee/tea/snack for three people.

Fourth Day of Kindness – in the spirit of “four calling birds,” call four friends or relatives just to say hi.

Fifth Day of Kindness – give away five potted plants, make them poinsettias with gold ribbons attached.

Sixth Day of Kindness – encourage six friends to donate to a cause. Do you have a favorite charity or know someone in need? Come up with a creative way to help.

Seventh Day of Kindness – in the traditional song, seven represents “seven swans a-swimming.” Since swans are beautiful and graceful, come up with seven things that make you feel beautiful and carefree. No need to do them all at once. Keep your list and do them when you want.

Eighth Day of Kindness – leave an encouraging message at eight places you visit.

Ninth Day of Kindness – let’s go back to the song again, and what the lyrics say, “nine ladies dancing.”  Invite nine friends to dancing. Get your body moving, it’s a form of self-care. If you don’t want to go out in a crowd, use Zoom or another virtual platform to create a dance party.

Tenth Day of Kindness – what is the most valuable thing that you can give away, but can never get back? Time. Give yourself the gift of time. During this Holiday season give yourself 10 minutes a day to relax in any way you choose. I said any way you choose, but I do have a few suggestions – read, listen to soft music, meditate, look at Christmas lights while relaxing with a warm beverage. You get the idea. Eventually you’ll expand your ten minutes and create valuable uninterrupted time for yourself.

Eleventh Day of Kindness – send a letter to eleven family members with updates on what’s happening in your household and find out what they’ve been up to.

Twelfth Day of Kindness – write a positive affirmation or quote on twelve pieces of paper, make it like a bookmark. Leave one in 12 random books at the library.

What would you add to the list of things to do for the 12 days of kindness? Remember most of all to be kind to yourself.

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Wordless Wednesday - Holiday Soups

Warm up with a tasty Holiday soup. Choose a traditional soup or try something new. Taste of Home has a selection of 100 Holiday Soups to Cozy up to. For recipes, click here