Being Scared of the World, While being a MOM!

Hi, if you are reading this that must mean the boredom and need to stay busy has gotten to you and you have stumbled across my wonderous blog. If that is the case then...WELCOME!!! If you are a follower or a fan thanks for sticking around during this crazy time in the world!

If any of you are like me then you are also a parent at home with kids that would normally be in school during the day so things may be a little out of whack for you! Well, guess what...

THAT IS OKAY!

The world is super crazy and scary right now and not having it all together is the kind of thing we all have in common right now. There are so many people who are trying their hardest to be teachers, improvisational cooks, keep the house in order and make sure that everyone is keeping up on their hygiene. It is hard, especially with so much fear and uncertainty in our futures. We need to stop pushing our selves to keep the same schedules and to-do lists and embrace the looser side of the days.

Are you someone who likes to make lists and cross off everything as you do it? Instead of making a new list each day, make one big list broken into three parts.

In this section, you want to write down the big things to get done before the month is over. This could be writing up your meal plan and shopping list for the following month, cleaning out a closet, reorganizing a room in your home, etc. These are items you can be a little lax on and leaves time for ...

In this section, you'll put things like laundry, changing bed sheets, cleaning out the refrigerator, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the bathrooms, etc. These are things that you want to keep up on a little bit more for hygiene reasons and of course so you can keep up with what you may have stored behind that jar of jam or gallon of milk at the bottom of your fridge! (I know I myself am not a fan of finding that leftover pot roast or chicken soup several weeks later when it has developed it's own islands of mold and bacteria residents lol)

This is the section that will change the most and if you use a whiteboard like I do that makes it much easier to change when you need to. Right now I have small boards for the kids to put their personal to-do lists on and one large one in the kitchen we use for the menu of the day and most other notes. Here you can put things like, work on schoolwork, dishes, prep meals, bake something, and if you want to do smaller lists for the kids and designate a set time for the lists to be checked off, then you can put things like, make beds, get dressed, brush teeth, set table, pick up toys, read two books, etc. Make them quick chores and tasks so that there is still time to be together and reassure them that together you can get through this time.


I am still working on my board for the next month as this one is pretty much over. I will post that picture with my blog post on Tuesday to bring us into April. Tune in then to see how I played it out and use some of your own creativity and I would love to see yours!

Now comes my biggest TIP/SECRET/IDEA THAT WORKS FOR ME:

Take one day and do NOT make a list for that day. Take that day off, spend it with the kids doing fun stuff they choose to do, let them pick dinner that day, make a fun snack, stay in pj's and cuddle watching movies on Disney+, Hulu, Netflix or any other streaming service you might have.

**side note, I will be making a post about some fun shows and movies I discovered when I ran out of things on the DVR to watch** Should be fun! 

But anyway, take a day to just have fun and try to enjoy the togetherness you can get with your family that life usually doesn't give us a moment for like we would like. It is ok to be afraid of what's to come and what has already happened. It is ok to feel overwhelmed and like you cannot seem to stay on track. DO NOT be hard on yourself. (trust me I know from first-hand experience this does NOT help anything lol) be kind to yourselves and others. We need kindness more than anything right now in the world. I hope this helps you a little bit or at least gives you something new to try to keep some of the sanity at this time.

See you again soon! Keep reading and we will keep living! <3 

Self Care Through Journaling

While clicking through the internet not too long ago I came across a post that gave me 25 different journal prompts for Self Care. This inspired me to rethink the way I write since I have been suffering from some writer's block and not really been in the mood to continue on with the pieces I was previously working on.

So today I am going to share the first prompt, what I wrote and how it made me feel about myself after writing it.

Prompt 1: What are 10 things you are good at?

For me, it was a little tough coming up with TEN things that I am good at so I figured this was a good time to really sit and think about the things that I do that I am proud of and feel like I am good at no matter how small it was. After taking a night to stew on the question I made a list and decided to just write about that particular list.

The first thing that I am good at is taking care of my children! Making sure they are happy, healthy and safe is what I am really the best at in my own mind at least. (I like to think that they would agree)
Two, I am good at coordinating outfits for people. I can put together outfits from anyone's closet and they are always pretty good (having three kids with different styles helps).

Three, I am good at taking pictures. I love to take them all the time because why not remember as many moments as possible when I am older. I love taking pictures of pretty much anything but there is always a reason for it. I figure if I get old and start to forget these pictures will be a way to remind myself of the times I want to remember.
Fourth, I am good at organizing and color-coding. I like to put things in order, there is a sense of satisfaction at seeing things all lined up and neatly put in place!
Fifth, I am good at sparking up conversations with random people. I do have a lot of anxiety, HOWEVER, if I find something that sparks a compliment or that makes me smile I tend to speak up about it. I just can't help myself sometimes and that is okay, I think everyone should be able to say when something makes them happy with no shame.
Sixth, I am a good cook. I love trying new recipes, buying new spices, and trying to convince the kids to explore new things in the kitchen as well. I have found ways to sneak in the "good for you " stuff into their favorite dishes so I know they are getting what they need out of every meal!
Seventh, I am good at crafting. I am good at finding ways to use just about anything for making art. Upcycling things and getting supplies from places like (dollartree.com) and (walmart.com) I can make just about anything I want for gifts, household use or even just fun holiday decorating.

Eighth, I am good at multitasking, even right now I am doing about four different things while writing this particular post. I have a great ability to do many things at one time with the most ease.  I probably do it more than I should but it comes in handy when you have more than one child, a really great significant other and a household to keep in order.
Ninth, I am good at listening to others, I love to listen to those I love, friends, family, when anyone really talks about things they love. I also like to hear their sorrows and be a shoulder if they need me to be.

So now we are at the final thing of the ten, this one I feel is the most important, its the one thing that should really be on every single one of your lists should you choose to make one about what YOU are good at...this final thing is...I AM GOOD AT BEING ME! There is really nothing more important than that. No one else could be the fun, quirky, purple-haired, rainbow glasses-wearing, weirdo that I myself have become from the years of life I have lived!

Honestly writing this piece about myself was very therapeutic. It helped me to spend a lot of time thinking about the positives that make up who I am. This is quite the opposite of how I spend most of my days ( I am working improving on this in many ways this year). This self-care journaling is just a small part of what I hope is improving my life and its quality.

If you would like more information about these prompts, send me a comment and I can tell you more. I plan to do prompt writing again in a future post as well. Stay tuned and keep reading.