Thoughts for the New Year

When you go through really tough stuff, loss, extreme sadness or grief, you feel like the pain is never going to stop. You can’t imagine a day where it won’t hurt.

But then... after what seems like forever, you start to forget a little bit how raw and hard it all felt. Either because something else has finally filled that void up, or because time, and day to day life have happened and numbed some of it out.

I think that’s “Time’s job”.
To help soften the pain of the past, and also to remind you that today is all you may have, and to REALLY cherish it.

I remember feeling so inadequate as a young mother.
Overwhelmed, isolated, tired, sometimes empty and yet still happy at the same time.
Now as a newly single Momma of pre-teens, I feel even more scared and unsure - but find that my “emotional happiness cup of motherhood” is overflowing in this season of my life. It’s filled to the top and bursting at the seams.

I tap into that feeling over and over again when I am struggling with the anger of my divorce or the debilitating fear of not knowing what my future will bring, now that I’m on my own.
I don’t think the irony of these two polar opposite feelings crossing paths at the same time in this moment of my life... actually has anything to do with irony at all.
I truly believe that God has a plan for each of us, and that he wants us to be REALLY happy - even when ESPECIALLY when times feel impossible, hopeless or too hard.

I don’t KNOW much of anything (especially about God or religion) - I’ll admit that. But I DO know THIS with every fiber of my being, because I feel it to my core... God wants us to win.
He wants us to find happiness through life’s sometimes uncontrollable circumstances and outcomes.
He wants us to WANT help, so he can give it - but sometimes it takes falling to rock bottom (emotionally, spiritually, physically or mentally) to finally call on him for comfort.

I don’t think I’ve prayed harder in my entire life, than I have this last month.
For people I don’t even know, for members of my social media family here, everyday life friends, for my own family, for myself... and the list goes on.

My heart has been hurt and mended more than a few times in my 36 years here on earth... but after my separation, I honestly never thought I would be able to pick up the catastrophic mess that was left around me.

...turns out, I was wrong.

And over the last couple years, the more I step back and look in at it... I think I’ve decided that that’s what life is totally all about.
Seeing what we do with the pieces of our heart and life, that break and scatter.
Figuring out how to rearrange the mess, into something... ANYTHING that makes us feel remotely whole again.
There’s no time limit on that kind of work.
And I want to tell you (and maybe this is more for just myself) that IT’S OKAY to take it slow.
Don’t let anyone rush you, especially yourself.
Bottling and burying only work for so long before you can’t dig any deeper or push things down any further.
If new resolutions are being made tonight, simply to cover up others that are still lingering and begging for attention... I say look inward and try again.
Not because you failed, but because you refuse to stop fighting for yourself.
You’re stronger than you think.
You deserve more peace.
Life’s momentary circumstances don’t define you.
Give yourself some grace.
You’re doing SO good.
You ARE enough.
And there’s no rush.
Life really IS about the journey - and sometimes you just need to stop and FEEL it all, to properly start to HEAL it all.
Happy New Year you guys - it’s gonna be a good one.💗

When You Realize Kids Are People Too - Raising and Connecting with Tweens

First of all, I wanted to give a massive and tearful thank you to all of you who read, commented and gave me tons of love and support on my last post about divorce. It was definitely THE hardest thing I'd ever had to write about in the 11 years I've been blogging - but I can now confidently say that I'm so glad I did.
I shared this photo, along with some thoughts on Instagram recently, and wanted to make sure they were seen here as well.

"There are no right words for the amount of love and support I received yesterday. Thank you, from every part of my heart... really, thank you😢💗. I will continue to work through the comments and emails this week, but I just have to say that the stories, advice and uplifting words I’ve read so far have given me more comfort and hope than I can even start to describe.

Thank you for lifting me up. Thank you for making me feel stronger. All of you women are so amazing, inspiring and kind. I am incredibly proud to call you my friends (may sound a little presumptuous, but that’s truly how I feel). THIS is what social media is about for me. THIS feeling of connection and support with other amazing humans (that I probably would never have had the opportunity to connect with otherwise) is why I am here. 

I love and appreciate each of you💗

PS: A friend from my church dropped off this perfect bracelet to me today, and it’s definitely helping me hold my head up just a little higher. #sograteful #womenneedwomen #vulnerabilityequalsconnection"

Moving along...

Recently I've gotten lots of questions about being a Mom to tweens, and daughters in general. It's kind of funny, because never in a million years did I think ANYONE would ever ask ME for "Mom advice".

I've opened up before about being a toddler Mom, and how it seemed like a very different experience for me than for my other Mom friends. There were SO MANY of you that could relate, and it was really nice to know that I wasn't alone in those feelings.

Fast forward 7-9 years later, and here I am - 35 years old and completely in the thick of tween Mommin' it every day.

Disclaimer: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING. (do any Moms really?😁)

But I DO know that THIS stage of life with my kids is SO fun, and SO much more rewarding than EVER, for me as a Mother.
In no way, shape or form do I feel like an expert or pro in the tween Mom category, but I DO have thoughts, experiences and moments where I've realized... "HEY! That totally paid off! I AM doing okay at this Mom gig!?" lol
So, I wanted to share some thoughts with you. Maybe they will help, maybe they won't. Maybe you have suggestions of your own and want to share them in the comments (which I'd LOVE!), but either way... we're all doing this Mom thing together the best we can - so why not share helpful suggestions and ideas that may work for us, with others!?

Alright, so here are a couple examples of questions that I've gotten, that have triggered my thoughts for today's post.

“Hi Shelley! I have a question and I even feel terrible for admitting it! #worstmomever I have three girls as well, oldest being 10. And lately I've had a hard time connecting to her, (my oldest) I find I let her get on my nerves, or I find her annoying, again WORST MOM! Have you ever felt this way? You and your girls have such a great relationship! I love the way you all are towards each other, and having a house hold of girls myself I want to create that friendship. Just wondering if you had any tips to create that great friendship?  Thanks so much!”

"I love that you actually have fun with your girls. I feel like they "LIKE" you. I feel like such a drag all the time. I don't laugh with my kids, joke around or have fun with mine - even though I LOVE all of those things - or I used to, I think. Being a Mom has put that kind of me on the back burner. My kids are 4, 7 and 9. How do you start doing stuff like this? I almost feel like it's too late and I should of started earlier. Any advice on how to step out of "just being the rule enforcing Mom" role, and into the "let's have fun too" role?"

First of all, you are NOT a bad mom. I can almost promise that anyone who's reading this right now... is NOT a bad Mom.
GOT IT!?
Good.
So stop. Don't say that anymore. It's not fair to yourself.
You're just... a Mom.
And more importantly?... A PERSON!
Just because you birth, adopt, foster or take care of a child (just like you are their own mother), and you lose your crap on them from time to time or don't think that they're someone you want to snuggle, love on, dote over, play with on the ground or hang out with at Target and be next to 24/7... YOU ARE NOT A BAD MOM!

Have you ever met a 9 year old who picks up baby talk from school?
Or an 11 year old who brings the ever-snotty-sounding, "fine, whatever!" into their vocabulary?
How about screeching?
Booger eating?
Whining?
Odd new ways of laughing that they picked up from another kid that make you want to rip your ears off?
Or maybe the stage where they say "Mom!, Mommy!" or "Hey Mom!" TEN GAZILLION times, even when there's NO ONE else around and you are LITERALLY the only one walking right next to them!?!?!?
It's like, why do you have to start EVERY sentence with MOM first!? I know you're addressing me, I'm the only one here remotely in ear-shot - JUST START TALKING!... and then the best part... when you finally say... "Yes?" or "What?" they go into "Ummm" or "Hmmm", and after about 10 seconds of that they eventually pipe up with... "Oh, I can't remember - I forgot."
😳
**Cue deep breathing, eyes slowly closing and therapeutic neck rolling. #serenitynowserenitynow**

We have ALL felt annoyed, bugged, frustrated or just OVER our kids at some points. And just because you are HUMAN, and some things grate on your nerves worse than others... it does NOT make you a bad Mom. In fact, I'd like to venture out and say, that if your child(ren) isn't (aren't) starving on purpose, is (are) clothed in some sort of way, and even remotely healthy!?... you're a GREAT Mom!!! - and don't let yourself or anyone else tell you differently.

Maybe I should just stop there... because really, I'm pretty sure that the fact I have almost always thought like that⬆, is the main reason I convince myself that I'm killin' it at this Mom thing most days😝.

Set low enough expectations for yourself as a mother ⤏⤏⤏ You'll exceed them every time!

Okay, okay, I'm sort of kidding - but honestly, if you're only worried about YOUR kids, and aren't wasting your time comparing yourself to any self-help book, other Mother, child, or a friggin' beautifully staged Instagram account?... then you're already doing better than you know.

So kuddos Momma. Keep on keepin' on. 

Okay, so that being said, here's a little more insight on how things have worked for me.
Take it or leave it.

Divorce: Working Through Grief, Letting Go & Leaning In

This post has been in the works for over a year now. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read it, tweaked it and sobbed over it. I try to convince myself each time I sit in front of it, that it's too raw. Too vulnerable. TOO real (yes, that’s a thing). Will anyone honestly even care that I want and need to scream MY OWN feelings from one corner of the internet to the other? Or are they content hearing versions from others perspectives or people who think they know my life - or who have decide to google it, and believe everything they read?
Have I been quiet too long?

"Elevation Sometimes Requires Isolation."

Funny thing about the internet is - once you put something out there… it’s ALWAYS going to be there. For your future employers, family, friends, children and even grandchildren to read. And for the longest time I had an internal battle with myself trying to decide what was MOST important for me to feel COMPLETELY HEARD on.
What would REALLY matter later on in life?
What could I say to help someone never feel as alone as I have in my grief, and hopeful?
What is relevant enough, that people who take their time to read what I write will feel value out of reading it?
Most importantly... what will my sweet girls learn from me one day, as I try to lead by example?

In a nutshell...

- Be patient with yourself.
- Stand strong.
- Know it's okay to cry - don't bottle things up.
- Remember who you are - even (especially) when life feels impossible.
- Stay classy.
- Don't sweat the small stuff.
- Try your hardest to let the big stuff go - and don't give up.
- Tell the people you love how special they are to you, every opportunity you have.
- Life is too short.
- Things are just things.
- Time spent with someone = Love.
- Attention given = Respect earned.
- And no matter what... Always Strive to Be Kinder Than Necessary. 

MOVING THROUGH GREIF

It's 4am, another sleepless night and I can't stop thinking about something my bishop and friend Randy once told me while sitting on my couch.
"Eventually you'll start telling people little by little... and one day it won't hurt so bad. Try people you trust at first, then close friends, move to acquaintances, then someone you don't even know. See what happens and how you feel. It will get easier.”

I never thought those words would ring true for me. I never thought in the depths of my incredible sadness, that telling anyone anything about how I felt during the worst moments of my life, would be something that would heal me, make things easier, or by any means make me feel better.

I was wrong. He was right. He was right more than I’d like to admit. I miss Randy horribly. He passed away just a year ago, and I can’t write this post without mentioning the huge role he played in being supportive, understanding and nonjudgemental through the absolute hardest part of my life so far. He would pull me out of my head and back down to the ground over and over again at the beginning.

...And now I can only pray that he knows how many times that saved me.

*sigh*

The problem with telling people, is that it’s always hard, painful, awkward and heartbreaking for me to say it out loud. But then after it’s out… no matter what the response is from the opposite party… there is an instant feeling of relief. No more dodging. No more acting like things aren’t what they are.
Now we can talk. Really just talk.
And then… the best part… NOT having to talk about it anymore.
That’s the part I work towards. That’s the moment that is worth all the super awful, anxiety filled ones before it. The part where I just get to try and be ME again, and not the girl who’s defined by her husband's choices and life's now MANY uncontrollable circumstances.

That being said, after a massive amount of thought, prayer and many sleepless nights wondering what should and shouldn't make up this blog post - I have decided that the best thing to do is to only share my own experience, grief and truth.
Even though we all thrive on the nitty gritty details of what could possibly force marriages to end and people to be so incredibly sad... it is not all my story to tell. And no matter how painful things feel for me right now... I want to work hard at trying to be the kind of person who continues to give respect to others - whether or not I feel it's deserved.

--------

I’m sick of not fully being me. Even if that “me” has changed so much, that others don’t like or understand the "new me”.
It's a risk I’m willing to take.

So here we go...

... Because I Wish Someone Would Have Written This 8 Years Ago

Instagram can only hold so many words... and well, I have more to say on this back to school business. lol. So I'll start with echoing what I started to say on my last insta post.
Back to school this time around is so bittersweet. Two years ago I clearly had very different feelings😝 - and so this go around it's taking me by surprise. It's the first time I am legitimately sad about not having my 3 little spunky, sweet, giggly, chatty sidekicks to joke, dance and shop around with each day.😩💔

Are there moments where I'm super stoked about having more free time to do my own thing, and thrilled about my house staying clean for more than 30 minutes?... uhhh YEAH! But I just can't emphasize enough HOW FUN this preteen age has been for me. The conversations are richer, the laughs are longer, and just the fun moments in general have multiplied by a thousand this Summer.

Lately I've found myself thinking SO MUCH about motherhood, and how it's constantly evolving and changing.

Truth be told (and I hope someone can relate, because this is a vulnerable thing to admit)... I typically ALWAYS felt out of place, impatient and frustrated as a "toddler Mom". I never quite understood how other Moms could deal so well with everything that was being thrown at them.
(I blamed it on my incredible lack of patience😬)

When you Suck at Back to School Momming...

Guys... my kids start school in 4 days and as of 2 days ago nobody had backpacks, pencils, paper, or whatever else I'm suppose to GUESS they need... because to be honest? I'm not sure where the HECK to look for a list of supplies.
Is there like an email sign-up from the school that I'm not on or something? Frick.

You know when your kids start asking questions like... "Mom? do you think we should like... maybe get ready for school, because it starts next week?"... you've completely submitted to #summermomming, and have little to no comprehension of what time of day it is... let alone the actual day of the month (insert dramatic, laid back summer shrug here).

That being said... one thing you have to know about my twins, is that they are maybe the worlds most responsible 11 year old-worry warts you've ever met... but please know I mean this with complete sincerity and admiration. (this picture is not a accurate portrayal of said worry warts😜) 

So when I see the first, sure-tell signs of back to school panic in their little eyes... I know it's time to jump into action - fast!

Sadly, this Mom was chillin' in Summer mode and didn't get to the "cute backpack" haul in time (which, duh, is the most important item)... so Amazon Prime to the rescue! - which is really what all this blabbing is about. Uniting with other Mom's in denial about school starting, who also missed the cute backpacks IN store... and sharing the quick-ship options I found for my girls, in case you need a little help😘

Below are links for each backpack, and they will ship in just 2 quick days peeps!🙌

Black and White Stripe Backpack

Vintage Floral Backpack

The twins are in love, and feeling less panic. Especially after I threw a few sharpened pencils, a pen and some computer paper in their backpacks that we had just hanging around here at the house😁.

...WHAT? I'm not going to spend money on a bunch of supplies they won't even need! I'm waiting until they HAVE to have something, and then I'll make my Walmart/Target run💁... right?

Oh! And because Aubrie was feeling left out, here is her backpack that she's using this year. I hesitate to share it because it says it's out of stock, but maybe if you really wanted to you could track one down.

Happy back to schooling Mommas and thank the heavens for Prime shipping #amiright!? lol

Vulnerability Sucks ... Banana Bread Does Not

I don't think I slept well, too much on my mind. I'm pretty sure that's how a bad day starts... with the night before. Then little things trigger bigger things inside. You just can't seem to feel good about how your makeup looks, all of your clothes suck (aka: you feel huge), you're having a forever bad hair day, the dryer never started last night so clothes are still wet that you need for today, and for no legit reason your anxiety decides to show up - guns blazing.

You scream at your kids, immediately know you're out of line and feel a huge rush of guilt. You apologize 5 seconds later and like always... they say "it's okay mommy".

More mom guilt.

You wonder how long they will be little enough to always forgive you, and love you SO unconditionally.

Another rush of anxiety hits hard.

Nothing sounds good for breakfast... who am I kidding, brunch - because actually getting to the thought of knowing you need to eat SOMETHING so that you can eliminate "hangry" off of the reasons you feel out of control today, takes way longer when you're sifting through a fog of other intense feelings.

An over easy egg, blueberries and Oreo Thins it is.

#breakfastofchampions

You try SO hard to pull it together, wonder why you can't swallow all the chunks of emotion bubbling up under your throat, and end up losing it in the car after you pull into the garage.

10 minutes go by and you worry about wasting gas and if you're killing the environment singlehandedly, so you finally decide to go inside and cry it out in a more "green" way.

Meanwhile you're pissed that you even care about the stupid car and the dumb earth.

Now you feel bad about calling the earth dumb, because...you know... earth is obviously the awesomest. 

You laugh at your own thoughts, because how #whitegirl do you sound... and this tiny moment of lightheartedness opens up and allows for an empowering moment of thought.

You remember what your therapist said once...

Life: It is what it is.

You can't control anything but yourself and how you react. So take a deep breath, acknowledge your shit (fear/anger/sadness/anxiety) and then figure out how to deal with it.

Yes. Therapy really helps.

Today I feel completely self absorbed.

I need to get out of my head.

Creating something... anything, usually helps me.

Pretty pictures of memories I've created, help me to put life into perspective.

Knowing I can "bank" beautiful pictures into a sea of my other cherished memories to keep forever, helps me to remember that life is almost always good - the #1 reason I started blogging. 

So naturally there has to be shitty times too right?... so that we can truly appreciate all the great ones.

"Some days are just filled with too much feeling."

Today's thoughts from my bff👆

Banana bread and my best friend helped me to gain some much needed perspective today. And I didn't feel like pretending for anyone today, that I just "felt like baking for no reason".

Vulnerability sucks. It's uncomfortable... yet freeing at the same time. 

It opens up the door for criticism AND connection. 

Most people are afraid to receive one over the other.

Most times I am too.    

I've decided that no matter how amazing everyone's lives may appear, we ALL have our "shit" and demons to deal with, so...

It's Okay to not be Okay.

There's is no quick fix for a day like today. Some days just feel really, really hard.

And time is the only thing that will really heal the hurt.

For me? Life, especially recently, has been full of lots of big and little waves.

Sometimes I can ride them out, and other times they topple me completely flat

... but at least I'm still on the beach - and now, I've got baked goods😏

Best Ever Buttermilk Banana Bread Recipe

Friggin' amazing carbs can at least help start heal a crappy day.  Take my word for it.

First Snow!

It's been crazy warm this Fall, and we've enjoyed EVERY minute - but today we got our first snow of the season, and these little chicks were SO excited!

Moments like these just call for documentation, right!?

When You're a Girl Mom... + Terrible Teeth Turned Terrific

Being a human, alone, requires quite a bit of regular maintenance. All of the standard cleanliness-ess. Taking care of this, watching out for those, keeping up with that. (you know what I mean.)

Now... being a GIRL human (insert eye roll) can just be flat out tiring and ridiculous sometimes. 

The makeup, the hair, the clothes, various different styles to choose from... all of it can seem overwhelming, ESPECIALLY when you're trying to "come into yourself" and figure out who you are and want to be.

So... as a Mom to three of those "girl humans" who are slowly, and will soon quickly pick up the pace in that stressful "figuring out who and what they want to be and look like" lane of life, I've decided that I have 2 VERY important things that I will help them with as a Mother, aesthetically, that will hopefully make transitioning into this wild world of womanhood, a whole lot easier.

#1. A pretty smile.

#2. Healthy, clear skin.

Don't worry, I KNOW there are a billion other important things to focus on... and I'm not forgetting those. Healthy bodies, happy, kind, confident overall spirits... YES, yes, yes... those are ALL things we work on everyday too. But as far as 'outward appearance confidence boosters' are concerned?, I'm positive that a beautiful smile and healthy skin, are the BEST investments that I can make for my girls. Something that they may not totally understand right now, but will hopefully thank me for later. And then what they decide to do with the rest of their "look" later?... will be totally up to them. (heaven help me!) lol.

So speaking of teeth, we've had a TON of questions on Instagram and through email about why our youngest was already in retainers and braces at 7 years old... so I thought I'd address it, finally.

It's been an intense year and a half for our tiniest chicks little mouth. Not only was she "blessed" with not-so-awesome teeth genes, but she got her Dad's messed-up cross bite too. This led us to searching for an orthodontist early on, who could help solve a handful of problems that Cason's been living with his whole life, that we didn't want our poor Aubrielle to have to suffer through too. 

After researching out a few different offices, (but basically flying this thing blind, and only going off of "a good feeling") we decided to give Vincent Orthodontics a try... and can I just say, I am SO GLAD WE DID.

Below is a picture from our first appointment. 

Looking back at these pictures breaks my heart. Her poor crowded teeth, narrow palette and crooked bite. Things that were getting so bad that they were starting to cause bad headaches and teeth grinding.

To be clear, I never had braces growing up, and neither did Cason, so we were SUPER hesitant on forking out monthly payments towards an 18 month orthodontia plan, that our insurance didn't fully cover. But we felt like it would be the best move for our little girl, both for practical and cosmetic reasons.

We felt like Dr. Vincent was VERY honest, patient, kind and smart. He also has the awesomest team of employees, maybe ever. Literally, we have NEVER had a bad experience the whole time we've been going. 

Below are quick shots from my phone of photos that I took of Aubrielle at her visits throughout the past 18 months. It's so crazy to look at the different stages. 

From widening her pallet for over 8 months with a retainer, using a metal key each week to make room for adult teeth... to aligning them properly with braces, and THEN adding additional space for more growth as she loses the rest of her baby teeth. WHEW! It's been a lot of work and commitment!

She has been a champ, and has only complained once or twice from sore gums after her last set of intense braces were applied. She's understood the whole way what the outcome of all of this would be, and has been so patient and excited for the end results.

Just a few days before school started, she got her braces off and we both laughed and got teary eyed together as she licked her "slimey" teeth and giggled, while covering her mouth with her hands.

Mommin' Be Hard Yo - But Always Worth It + A New School Year

Life has been so busy, and I've definitely been slacking on... well... pretty much everything. But there's ONE thing EACH year that I do, no matter what life throws at me. And that's back to school pictures. The kind that don't just come from my phone real quick. The kind that require thought, preparation, and charging of the "nice camera" battery the night before.

Yup, it's straight-up like the ONLY photo shoot that I do with my kids that I can count on having each year, and you better believe that I get up about 3 hours before everyone else, to shower and prep for this picture event! 

It's a freaking task and takes planning, and don't let ANY mother of multiple girls with LOTS of hair, who takes semi posed and decent pictures (on a time crunch), tell you otherwise.

Because I'm convinced that if they do, they're lying to you... or taking some kind of magical pill that has them super energized, or chilling way out. *lucky*

When Your Pups Eat Better Than You - Our Doggie Dog World

This post was sponsored by CANIDAE® // We strive to only partner with and endorse companies who promote products and messages that we already love, and know you can appreciate too!

A close friend once told me years ago, only halfway joking, that they were pretty sure they loved their dog more than they loved their kids some days (a teenage son and preteen daughter, at the time). I was a new Mom, super naive and an anti-pet person at the time. This was a concept that was completely foreign to me, so like any good friend, I gave her a curtesy laugh, smiled and nodded.

Fast forward about 6 years... and who would have thought!?

Not just ONE dog... but TWO.

A lot of you have asked questions about the breed and nature of our sweet girl pups, so I thought I'd address a few of them!

Aubrielle's Baptism Day & Photoshoot!

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures of Aubrielle's big day - her baptism!

It was so special you guys. Everything about it. From the photos we shot on the SLC temple grounds the week before, to the simple, yet beautiful luncheon at home, that we had after she was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints! 

In our faith we give children the choice to be baptized at 8 years old, although Aubrielle had been excited and ready since she was at least 4. She talked about her special baptism day constantly, and was filled with so much happiness once the moment arrived, that I thought she might burst!

This photo above with her daddy, right before we headed out for her baptism, makes me emotional almost every time. 

I wish I could let all of you meet this sweet girl, and experience her loving, happy, energetic personality. It's so contagious.

Halloween Costumes & Thoughts!

I know it's over, but I just can't help looking at all of these cute pictures from this years little Halloween costume photoshoot that we did!

Pictures are EVERYTHING. I love having them for memories, and to look back on in years to come. 

Halloween is like the ultimate dress up for me and my girls. We pull out all of the stops and I let them get creative with costumes, makeup, hair... you name it! As long as we're modest, I'm up for whatever they want to do!

It's so fun watching their personalities come out.

Our Favorite Pumpkin Crumble Dessert + The Pumpkin Patch!

Yum. Yes. Delish. Nom-Nom...!

But first... you have to look at some cute kid pics😁

Finding Happiness In Life's Messes

This post has been sponsored by Brawny® and the new Stay Giant TM campaign, to feature thoughts from Super Mom's who may not be perfect, but know that even through life's occasional messes, trying their hardest is all that matters!

Life can be a mess, you guys.

Figuratively and literally. 

I'll admit - I'm sort of a control freak when it comes to my home and it's cleanliness level. I LOVE a clean house and space. It makes me feel relaxed, calm and creative. When my surroundings are cluttered or dirty, I honestly just can't handle it.

Over the years it's sort of become a setback for me, because I end up sweating over "the little things" instead of looking at the big picture. I've realized that this is definitely NOT good when you're trying to be productive, grateful and overall HAPPY everyday. 

This Summer, after making the huge transition from being a working-outside-of-the-house Mom, to a 100% stay-at-home Mom, I've had a complete shift in stress level (it's pretty much zero now), and in turn have also really tried to hone in on chilling out when it comes to my house, and messes that my kids make each day.

Instead of running behind them all Summer picking things up constantly and being annoyed with the fact that I had JUST tidied up that certain spot 5 minutes before - which truth be told, I still tend to do out of habit - I will now try to stop, laugh, cuddle or play along with them.

Don't get me wrong, I was ready to break up with Summer because my kids have been chomping at the bit for more mental stimulation than apparently I can give them... but that doesn't mean I won't miss the snot out of those messy little faces, that randomly decide eating dessert without hands like a cat is super awesome and something they just HAVE to do, or they'll "die!" 

** insert eye roll here **

I wrote some quick thoughts down a few weeks ago on Instagram, after a visit to beautiful Mirror Lake here in Utah with the family, and I just have to share them here too for those of you who may have missed them --

The After School Routine That Really Gets My Kiddos Sharing the Good Stuff!

I couldn't go without sharing back to school pics. It's a tradition around here :) 

I know every Momma says it, but I can't believe how BIG our little chicks are getting!

These next couple of pics are proof that they think I'm still funny...
I told them that maybe this was the year that they'd get kissed by a cute boy in class.

And that if they liked it... I'd spank them when they got home. LOL

Dang it I love these girls so much.

While I won't pretend that I'm super sad that they went off back to school (because I'm just not; we were ALL more than ready), I AM missing those smiley faces that kept me ridiculously busy all Summer.

The real thing I wanted to chat about today though, was our little after school routine we have goin' on so far this year.

I'm sure that every household has their own way of coping with the constant stream of information, homework and extra curricular activities that need to get done after school each day, but I wanted to share mine, because it's been working REALLY well and I've noticed a big change in my girls' attitudes from last year to this year - especially as I've gotten to know each of their personalities a lot better.

Oh Monday, Why Art Thou So?

Two more days till school starts... and I just found out yesterday that I have strep throat. High temp, white sores and all!

Yup. How awesome is that? ugggh 

My girls are at a pretty awesome age and they just do their own thing, but it's hard to completely zone out and sleep when you know you have kids at home.

Luckily my Mom took the girls last night so I could get to a doctor and gather prescriptions... but I hear my kiddos downstairs now, and I'm pretty sure that they're making their own quesadillas for lunch, which means there's going to be remaining shards of a Costco sized bag of colby jack cheddar sprinkled on pretty much every surface of my kitchen counters and floor.

I LITERALLY watched one of my girls pinch the smallest handful of cheese to pop in her mouth the other day, while simultaneously spinning and humming a song, (welcome to my house) and you would have thought she had acquired special shredded cheese multiplying powers. Cheese EVERYWHERE people.

I still wonder if any of that "snitch" actually made it to her lovely pie hole.

I'm just grateful that I GET to be home and don't have to go to work outside the house and feel this way today. Strep is seriously so awful. 

It's a funny thing how we take something as simple as swallowing for granted.