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

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

Photo by Kara Bee Photography

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.

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

Last week I discussed the importance of family time and how often the church segregates the family by age.

Today I am going to delve into why we have decided to keep our children with us during the worship service each week. You might wonder why I would even want to do such a thing! Most weeks it’s a lot of work and some of those Sundays I find myself asking the same thing. I’m confident that it’s the best thing for my family. My children can learn Bible knowledge and memorize scripture anytime, but there are so many things they can only learn and experience from this hour on a Sunday.

Why I Keep My Children in the Church Service With Me:

• We can worship as a family and teach our children how to worship.
• Children can observe the offering plate being passed and even place their own money in it.
• They can participate in singing and praying and watch the adults around them do the same thing.
• As communion and baptism happen children ask questions and you can have great discussions (even a 2 1/2 year old wonders what is going on).
• To learn from the sermon. You’d be surprised what little tidbits a 2 1/2 year old can pick up and remember. My daughter can hear something once and repeat it weeks later.
• The children learn to sit. (This comes in handy for concerts and weddings as well.) They don’t need to be constantly entertained and catered to.

I’m still right in the midst of figuring out the best way to get a toddler to sit through church but I’ll share some things that have worked for me so far. Even if your children don’t sit in church with you on a regular basis, hopefully you’ll get some ideas for the occasions  they do.

Hints To Help Your Child Sit Through Church:

• Have them participate as much as possible. Stand when everyone stands, sit when everyone sits. Teach them to bow their heads and close their eyes (my daughter likes to make sure that I’m doing this too).
• They can place money in the offering plate.
• Pack some quiet activities. (We like some of these Lari Toys.)
• Have a pad of paper and writing utensil (or a mini magnadoodle). They can scribble or copy you taking notes.
• A picture Bible is great for little ones to look at during the sermon. (We are using The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name)
• Bring out a quiet snack for later in the service if your child has been well behaved.
• Be willing to leave. I’ve had to go and sit outside or in the foyer when my child got too loud. However, she still had to sit. I didn’t reward unruly behavior by allowing her to run around and play. (That would only make it harder to get her to behave the following week.) One week we went and buckled in the car and waited for church to get out.

Some Sundays are harder than others but I feel the benefits outweigh the drawbacks and will tell you from experience it gets better! We went through some rough Sundays when we were adjusting to little brother but are now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and have actually sat through church 3 Sundays in a row. Hooray for progress!

Come back Thursday to read some ways you can be a blessing to those with kids in church with them!

Do you have your children with you on Sundays?
What suggestions do you have for getting a child to sit quietly for over an hour?

Linking up to Fellowship Fridays, Essential Fridays, Mama Moments, Welcome Home Wednesday, Mommy Brain Mixer, Thrifty Thursday