When You Feel Like You Can’t Do It All

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Today I’m excited to have my first guest post published at The Purposeful Mom! This post is for all of us moms who get overwhelmed and feel like we can’t do it all.

As a mom, wife and homemaker, it’s easy be overwhelmed and feel like I can’t do it all.

Dishes need to be done. Laundry is waiting in the dryer to be put away. A child needs to be disciplined. The baby is crying. Your husband would like to eat.

Those are just a few of the responsibilities within your family. Then add in minimal outside commitments: church activities, volunteer work, dinner with friends, and work activities.

You can't do it allSo many times I feel like I’m in over my head. There’s no way I can do what I need to accomplish and do it well. I stress about not being the kind-of parent my daughter needs, not holding my little guy often enough (way less than his older sister was held), not having time to relax and enjoy downtime with my husband, and having to say no to good opportunities.

Head over to The Purposeful Mom to read the rest!

Linking up to Mommy Brain Mixer, Thriving Thursday, Fellowship Fridays, Faith Filled Friday, Living Proverbs 31, Babies and Beyond, Teach Me Tuesday, Titus 2 Tuesday, Tending the Home Tuesdays, House to Home, Essential Fridays, Mama Moments, TGIM

Steps to a Productive Day

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Steps to a Productive Day

Some days seem to vanish before I have had time to get a single thing accomplished. (Well, I guess feeding and changing the baby is something so maybe I should say a single extra thing accomplished.)

Days rarely go as planned. Things come up, kids get cranky but there are certain things we can do to increase the possibility of a productive day. Today, I’m going to share what has been working for me.

Planning is essential. You need to have direction. When you go on a road trip you know where you are starting from and where you want to end up. You have a map or gps to assist. Getting in the car with no planning or gps will make for a stressful day and probably means you won’t arrive at your destination and definitely not as soon as you thought you would.

Take Steps to a Productive Day

  1. A Strong Start.

    Begin your morning with God and exercise. These two things will get your day off to the right start. Some mornings will be especially crazy or your kids will wake up early. On those days, just do what you can and try not to stress remembering things rarely go perfectly.

  2. A Strong Finish.

    End your day with thanks. Have a journal to write a few items you are thankful for from that day. This will help keep things in perspective and complete your day on a calm note where you realize how blessed you are.

  3. Plan the Night Before.

    This is essential to set yourself up for success the next day. Make a list and write right down your:

    • Must Dos
    • Should Dos
    • Want to Dos

  4. Big Stones First.

    When the next day comes make sure you tackle the most important things first (Must Dos) and fill in with the smaller non-essential items as you have time. It will feel good at the end of the day to have the biggies checked off the list.

  5. It’s okay to put fun things on your list!

    Don’t feel guilty putting reading for 30 minutes or playing piano on your list.

It’s okay if you don’t get everything checked off of your list. Each day is a fresh start and you can re-evaluate what you want to get done. Living life takes priority over a list, but most days utilizing these steps will help you enjoy your time more.

Linking up to Mommy Brain Mixer, Fellowship Friday, Babies and Beyond, Welcome Home Wednesday, Homemaking Link Up, Essential Fridays, Mama Moments Monday, Thank Goodness It’s Monday, Faith Filled Friday, Mindful Mommy Monday, Living Proverbs 31, Teach Me Tuesday, Titus 2 Tuesday, Thriving Thursday, House to Home, Motivation Monday

Menu Plan and Goals

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I think this week ushered in the beginning of fall (and a few days felt an awful lot like the beginning of winter)! The cooler temperatures are making me appreciate the remaining days of pleasant weather we have coming our way.

The weekend was spent at home, but it was busy. Our church finished up a remodel/addition and yesterday was our first Sunday back in the facility. Shaun has spent many hours the past week at the church getting trained on the the sound system and getting every thing hooked up the way they want. The service went smoothly and I think everyone enjoyed being back “home”. Personally, I like it because I will once again be able to walk over with the kids in the stroller Sunday mornings. A lot easier than loading them up in the car.

Well, we had a few better sleeping nights this week and some that were still crummy. Some is better than none at this point.

Breakfasts:

  • Yogurt and granola (me)
  • Pancakes/muffins from the freezer (daughter)

Lunches:

  • Pasta from the freezer (leftover from the staff party last week)
  • Nachos
  • Leftovers
  • Sandwiches/Picnic lunch at the zoo

Suppers:

  • Egg and Bacon Biscuit Sandwiches (using Good Cheap Eats recipe and adding Amy’s folding technique)
  • Popcorn, cookies, whatever (sometimes Sunday nights just call for easy)
  • Asian Salad (yep, we are doing it again this week – yummy and easy)
  • Trip to the zoo

Snacks:

  • Fruit
  • Almonds
  • Carrots

Goals:

  • Complete Azure order (Due Wednesday. Hoping to get apples for applesauce, dehydrating, and freezing)
  • Run 25 minutes 3 times (Got this done again last week. I’m going to have to rethink what I wear with this cooler weather. My hands got cold!)
  • Read 30 minutes 4 days (Let’s see if I can do this 2 weeks in a row)
  • Schedule and do family pictures
  • Plan and take a trip to the zoo

How was your week? Anything yummy cooking up on your menu this week?

Linking up to Menu Plan Monday

How to Be A Blessing to Those With Children in the Service

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I started out talking about why family time is important and age segregation in the church. Earlier this week I discussed why I keep my children in church with me and gave some suggestions to help your children make it through the service. Today we are finishing the series by covering a few ways you can be a blessing to those who keep their children in the church service.

Blessing

Jesus loves the little children. We can make them welcome and parents not feel bad for having a squirmy toddler sitting next to them. How much better to make those with children in the service feel accepted and supported rather than exiled and uncomfortable.

(I am fortunate to be a part of a church family where many people love my children and offer to hold and entertain them and say kind things, even when my toddler is throwing a fit.)

How To Be A Blessing to Those With Children in the Service

  • Give them a smile.
  • Leave seats in the back and end of rows for families to sit. (Having an easy exit if a child gets too loud makes our lives much less stressful).
  • Say something kind and encouraging to the parent and  child
  • For the Church: Welcome children from the pulpit and in your written communications. (Don’t only publicize children’s programs)
  • Offer to hold a baby or help with a toddler (especially when a spouse is missing) but don’t be pushy about it. Sometimes we might need it and other times it’s easier to manage our kids on our own.

How have people been a blessing to you as you’ve had your children in church?

Linked up to Mommy Brain Mixer, Fellowship Friday, Essential Fridays, Welcome Home Wednesday, Mama Moments Monday, Babies and Beyond