Never Stop Believing!

Nine years ago, we were living a nightmare we couldn’t wake up from. My daughter was diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma. It is the worst news a parent can ever hear. She underwent an eight hour surgery where they removed the left lobe of her liver, gall bladder, and a lymph node. Following that, she had chemotherapy. We didn’t know what the next hour was going to bring. One minute, she was happy and playful and the next so sick. As parents, we like to be in control and be able to take the pain away. We were out of control. The only option we had was to stay positive. So we did.

Emanuela is 10 years old today. She is a fighter and survived cancer. She is my inspiration and hero! We have written a chlldren’s book to raise awareness. We are donating a percentage of the proceeds to pediatric cancer charities. Emanuela is an amazing girl who wants to be able to give back.

The book is called “Dream On…”. It is a story about a girl and her magical unicorn. She brings joy and Sparkle to the world of cancer. It teaches us that dreams can come true. Never stop believing!

Join Emanuela in the fight against childhood cancer by purchasing a book!

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Simplify Your Life

Simplifying all areas of your life leads to a more enjoyable life with less stress.  Our lives can be chaotic.  We need to pause and think about what is most important to us.  Ask yourself some questions.  What is holding you down?  Do you need to hold on to it?  Can you let go of it and live without it? Does it have a positive impact on your family?

Think about all areas of your life and prioritize. First, you need to prioritize yourself.  I know this is hard for moms.  It took myself a long time to realize this but if you don't prioritize yourself,  all the aspects of yourself won't fall into place.  I was not the best mother and wife I could be.  I was tired and cranky.  I knew I had to start taking care of myself.  I was able to be present for what mattered.

Next, I simplified my home.  Studies have shown that clutter leads to high levels of stress.  It leaves us feeling anxious and overwhelmed.  Clutter is a distraction on what we really should be focusing on.  It makes it more difficult to relax in your own home both physically and mentally.  Your home should be a place that you walk in and feel relaxed. Get rid of the clutter and prevent incoming clutter! 

Simplify your eating.  If I don't plan our meals, we end up eating junk.  It is important for me to feed my kids healthy meals.  Wellness is an important aspect in our lives.  Every Friday, I go through the fridge and pantry and put my list together.  One of my pet peeves is wasting food.  I make a list of what we need and also put together meals with items that I have.  This system really works for our family.  I find that we are not only eating better, but saving money on food shopping. There's less waste.

This is how I simplified my life.  Hope this helps you all!

 

Unclutter Your Mind

Do you ever feel like your always tired and it's a struggle to get through your day?  This was me.  Can you relate?

I would wake up and think about everything I had to tackle that day and it was exhausting to even think about.  I just couldn't get it together.  I was going through the motions, but wasn't enjoying the day to day memories my family and I were making.  Life is a gift!

I had my "aha" moment when I read a quote by Oscar Wilde.  "To live is the rarest thing in the world.  Most people exist, that is all"  I read this quote over and over and it sank in.  This is what I was doing.  Existing, that is all.

It was time to unclutter my mind.  I sat down with a pen and paper and sorted out all aspects of my life.  They included my calendar, routines, home, and relationships.

Relationships are the most important.  Take time and think about your relationships.  GET RID OF ALL THE TOXIC PEOPLE in your life and don't look back!  I did this and it relieved so much of my day to day stress.  You don't need negativity.  Surround yourself with people that truly care and that are there for you when you need them.

Routines are important in order to get things accomplished in your day.  They are good for the whole family.  We all need structure otherwise we will be surrounded by chaos.

Take a close look at your calendar.  Be realistic.  Don't overbook yourself.  This is also where relationships play a role.  It's OK to ask for help.

Our health:  As moms we are so busy worrying about others, we tend to neglect our health.  If we are not healthy, we can not take care of others.

This is a great place to start taking control back and living the best version of yourself!

The Summer Kick Off

One of my life goals is to teach my children to NOT run the rat race in life in pursuit of perfection.  Summer is the best time of year to instill this.  It's a great time to slow down a little and chill.  Let's take on some lazy days and then the fun events can be more precious. Why must we always feel like we constantly need to GO, GO, GO?  We have ten weeks of fun and memory making.

Summer bucket lists are very popular.  I believe they only add to the pressure in our lives.  We feel pressured to check off that list.  What happens when we don't check the list by the end of the summer?  We didn't accomplish what we wanted and we feel bad.  We are left with a feeling of disappointment.

My children and I have started a summer memory board.  We are going to live in the moment, chase our dreams, and savor the memories we make.  No pressure! I have a dry erase board and every time we make a memory we jot it down.  On the one side it is a cork board where we will add pictures of ourselves as well as postcards.  The one I use is the combination magnetic whiteboard cork board from amazon.

At the end of the summer, we will look back and celebrate our little victories and happy moments.

The Toy Takeover

Do you feel like toys are taking over your life?  Are they everywhere you turn?  When there are toys everywhere our kids as well as ourselves get overwhelmed.  It is not enjoyable for kids to walk into the playroom and not knowing where to turn.  There is a feeling of emotional disconnect for them.  

When there's toys everywhere it leads to more chaos in your home.  A cluttered room with toys everywhere is not healthy for them.  It leads to toy overload.  They are not able to use their imagination.  

Toys were taking over my home.  It looked like a bomb hit and there was a toy explosion.   I have four kids in different age frames so I literally had toys everywhere.  I felt like it was a never-ending battle of trying to clean up the toys.  I would tell the kids it was their responsibility to clean up their own toys.  Sounds fair. Right?  The problem was they didn't know where to put anything because there was way too many toys and no real system.  

It would lead to everyone being frustrated and the job not done.  I got to the point where I just gave up.  It was easier to leave it the way it was.  I accepted it the way it was. 

I made excuses  My house is too small.  I don't have enough space.  I blamed it on the kids.

One day, I just had enough.  I realized this was not a healthy way to live.  I spent all my energy on being frustrated but not doing anything about it.  I knew I had to come up with a solution.  I was determined!

I call it "The Toy Purge".  I committed the next three days to making a change.

Day 1

*Grab a few garbage bags.

*Start putting toys and play sets together.

*If a toy has missing pieces or broken parts throw it right into the garbage bag!  That is an important step!  Remember your kids are not playing with it so don't feel the need to hold onto it.

Day 2

*Grab a couple large boxes and mark "Donate" on them.

*Start sorting toys and ask yourself these questions:

          -Has my child outgrown this toy?

          -Is it age appropriate?

          -Do we need all of these? For example, 35 Barbie dolls or 50 Hot Wheels?

           -When was the last time my child played with this toy?

          -Does my child get excited about playing with this toy?

If you answered "NO" to most of these questions, than it's time to Donate them.  Donate to your local preschool, church, or charity!

Day 3

*Grab a few clear bins, labels, & sharpie.

*Start sorting and labeling bins.  If you have Legos, label the bin and throw them right in.

At the end of each day, you are going to feel like a ton of bricks lifted off your shoulders and by day 3 you will love walking into your play room and you children will be able to enjoy playtime. 

What  have accomplished:

-Clean up time will be easier.

-Everything has a place.

-Independent play will be more enjoyable

This is how toys stopped taking over my house. 

 

 

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The "Cool" Parent

Creating a welcoming space for your children and their friends is one of the most ingenious things you can do.  As a mom of a 16 year old, I would much rather have my son and his friends at my house so I can see and hear what is going on in their lives. This way your child gets to socialize and you learn a lot about your child by who they hang out with.   I have a hard time dropping him off at some ones house and not truly knowing what is going on behind closed doors.  High school is very different from the elementary school phase.

Is being a "cool" parent really "cool"? What has society taught us about being cool?  Do we need to spoil our children and buy them everything they want?  Do they need to be involved in every activity?  Children need to understand what the word "no" means.   I have heard many stories.  The "cool" parent serving alcohol to teenagers. This blows my mind.  One parents excuse was "they are going to do it anyway so why not do it under my roof."  It might be true, but does it make it right?  What kind of message is this sending to our children?  

 You are a parent and other parents trust that their children are safe.  We need to balance our roles as a parent.  We need to keep them safe.  Remain a figure of authority, but give your child opportunitis to earn your trust and grow their own relationships.  I teach my son to try to make "smart" choices.  I know we all make mistakes and learn from them but it is our jobs as parents to be there and listen to our children.  The most important role is to keep them safe.

I want my son to be able to pick up the phone and call me if he's in an uncomfortable situation without the fear of getting in trouble.  If they can't trust us, who will they be able to trust?

 

Happy Family, Happy Life

Happy families create happy societies.  We all have ideas of how we want our families to look like but sometimes can't seem to get there.  We are all "busy' now a days but we need to prioritize and make time.  We all need "family' time, "me" time, and "partner" time.

Family Time

Improving your family life can help make your family members closer and contribute to everyone's happiness.  There a lot of things you can do to make your time with your family more enjoyable and fulfilling.  Set aside time for regular, fun family activities like riding bikes, going for a walk,or playing a board game. Family meals are a top priority in our house.  They are a key routine and help you stay involved in each other's lives.  Children remember these as adults. If possible, dedicate at least an afternoon or evening per week for a family activity.  

Me Time

Me Time is very important.  I know when I am burnt out, I can't function.  I get cranky and can not be the best parent I know I can be.  Moms tend to be hard on themselves.  "Mom guilt" takes over.  All you need is a break.  Some time to clear your head.  It can be a yoga class or a simple manicure.  If you can pull it off,  take a spa day.  I'm sure you deserve it.

Partner Time

Look for opportunities  to spend together away from the kids and life's drudgery.  It is easy to drift apart.  Let's face it, our children will grow up one day and you'll be left with each other.  A good relationship reflects on your children.  Set a real example of love because children learn to love from their parents.

I hope these three ways help make your family life better.