My best me promise

The hubs came home from work one day with a bag full of random things that said "My best ME promise." If I remember correctly, ME is supposed to stand for something....I just don't remember what that was.....

Anyway, one of the things in the bag was a magnetic frame, so obviously I stuck it on my fridge and it frames a silly picture that was taken of me and the hubs when I was pregnant with our #2 not-so-little man.

I don't know why, but this morning I was walking around thinking to myself "what is my best me promise?"

I've decided, the best thing I can promise myself is to not put pressure on myself. I am my own worst critic and I pressure myself way to much to do things better/faster/stronger/whatever. While looking through some new blogs this morning, I found this quote:

"A Pint can't hold a quart-if it holds a pint it is doing all that can be expected of it."
--Margaret Deland 

Isn't that a great quote! (Thanks to this blog for the quote!)

My best me promise? Less pressure, more love.

The end.

How about you? 

Don't forget, the My Memories giveaway ends tomorrow! Go comment on the post for a chance to win!

Spring Break, fact or fiction?

Spring Break is coming up, which really means nothing to me because my children aren't even in preschool yet, but I found this article entitled "Spring Break" (in the March issue of Family Circle) that had some facts in it (I LOVE facts!) that I thought were fun/interesting......so, here they are!

• 71% of moms say religion plays a role in how they maintain balance 
• (I am in that 71%)
• The top three people who help moms maintain their inner peace: 
• 1. Girlfriend 
• 2. Mom 
• 3. Husband 
• 36% of moms don't have time to focus on themselves 
• (thankfully, I'm not in that 36% the majority of the time)
• "While pedicures and manicures take me to a peaceful place, reading a good book and sharing my thoughts by writing them down are lighter on my budget" -a MotherBoard mom
• "When life gets crazy, I make lists. By writing down what must get done, I can be sure nothing is overlooked. And it's satisfying to check things off" -a MotherBoard mom (I love making lists!)
• (Confession: Sometimes I make lists of things I've already done just so I can check them off........)

Some fun facts yes? I liked the quotes too.

What do you do to take a break? (*cough cough* blog....)
When do you take your breaks? (whenever I can!)
I love hearing your thoughts, so spill 'em  =)

"me time" and other myths

I'm a big fan of "me time." Does that mean it's a regular part of my life? Heck no. Does that stop me from trying really hard to have it be a regular part of my life? Heck no. (P.s. adding the "heck" in front of the "no" is fun for me. Bear with me.)

Not only is "me time" incredibly important for me (and you!) but it's incredibly important for our families and other people in our lives.

"If you just exhale, what would happen? You have to inhale as well. When you replenish yourself in whatever way works for you, you have physical stamina and emotional resilience" (M.J. Ryan)

Isn't that an awesome quote? I love the part about having emotional resilience. I would love to have a little more emotional resilience. Now, being a mother of 2, finding some time for myself isn't always easy. I just so happened to read an article on simple and easy strategies for squeezing in a little "me time" and I wanted to share it! (Cause I'm cool like that) Here they are:

• Go shopping solo. Even if it's just for the ever exciting task of getting groceries (ugh, I'm not a fan of grocery shopping) there is something so sublime about just going solo.
• Get a pedicure. Yes, this is always at the top of my list if I have the money....which happens about once a year these days. 
• Train for a race. (On foot people, not in your super hot sports car). A researcher from Vanderbilt University, who also happens to be a mom, had this really extremely good point about this one: "I thought I'd prefer pampering, but that just gave me time to think about my son, my husband, work, or the mound of chores awaiting my return. I couldn't shut down." Yup, that's me whenever I get a pedicure....I guess I should start doing something a little more productive than just sitting there getting pampered.
• Connect online. (Hey! That's what I'm doing right now!) An editor name Erin Street from Alabama put it this way: "On good days and rotten ones, I know I can turn to my trusty online friends for thought-provoking reading and discussion—and I can even sneak that in during lunch or while in line at the cleaners." That is exactly how I feel about this wonderful world of blogging!
• Learn something new. "Living a life of curiosity, in which we challenge ourselves to think and connect, is immensely satisfying...when we give up on being curious, we are simply sleepwalking through life." 
• Get some fresh air. There are a ton of studies done that confirm the mood boosting effects of getting outside. 
• Curl up with a good book. "If you have time to watch mindless television, you have time to read for a few minutes. And it may make you feel energized rather than euthanized."
• Take a joyride. There is something so refreshing about jumping in your super cool minivan (alone), putting on music you enjoy and driving no where in particular...

Well, now that I've shared all that, my "me time" is up! Back to my wonderfully awesome daily life as a wife and mother :)

Thanks for reading! Want to share what you do for a little "me time?" Please do!

Balance or Responsibilities or Realism or.....life?

You know, I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect. I mean, I'm responsible for a whole heck of a lot! I have these 2 little boys relying on me to teach them so they can grow up to be honorable men, that's a big responsibility! Not only do I have that responsibility, but I am also responsible for making our house not just a house-but a wonderful, comfortable, happy, {clean}, lovely, orderly home. Yet another big responsibility! Add in the responsibilities to teach piano lessons to a group of {great} kids and drama to a bunch of {troubled} teenagers......oh and don't forget teaching a lesson at church once a month to a bunch of {special} women who I worry all know more than  me....and before you know it, I start to make myself feel kind of inadequate as a woman/wife/mother/sister/daughter/friend.

 All of these responsibilities {which I have chosen with open arms by the way} can really be overwhelming at times, and that is where the special word BALANCE comes in.


Do you ever walk into someone's house and it is ALWAYS clean? No dust, no toys on the floor, no 2 day old veggie something-or-other crusted to the top of the dinner table where the toddler sits, fresh flowers{sigh}, super cool decor.... How does this make you feel? I'll tell you how it makes me feel: like I'm not doing something right. Shouldn't I be able to have a perfect house too? Well, here is where my A-HA! moment {special thanks to Oprah for that one} comes in: comparing  myself to others is not any way to live.


To further illustrate my point, a few quotes {because I LOVE quotes}

So my point? Balancing my responsibilities and looking at my life realistically is really the only way to go. I read this post over at the Mean Mommy Academy blog earlier today and thought, "man, this is so awesome!" {hence this post}

• My house may not be clean 100% of the time, but my kids will always be happy and entertained.

• My weight might not be budging much on the scale at this very second {yes, I am that concerned about it I say *second*} but I'm active and energetic

• My cooking skills may not be that of a professional chef, but they're a whole  heck of a lot better than they used to be

• My kids may still sleep in my bed occasionally....but I love the bond we share and know in a few years it will be tough to get a kiss from them in public

And I could go on and on.....and on.....and on......

But guess what?!

It's ok!!!  

That's right, I said it. It's ok not to be like those women in the 2-page spreads of Better Homes & Gardens that you know were staged just to take the photo. It's ok to not be as skinny as all those "Hollywood moms" who probably hate having to diet all the time because we all look at them and think, "gosh, she looks great for having a kid last week!" It's totally ok.

Totally.

So keep on keepin' on, and remember: