Packed breakfast

 I don’t get up early enough to make and eat breakfast before work but on weekends or days off this has become my new favorite. If I don’t want the mess I keep to whole grain toast, avocado, honey and everything bagel seasoning. If I have time for mess I add an egg. Packed full of healthiness it’s so good and so filling. #healthy breakfast #yummybreakfast #avacadotoast

Christmas cuteness

 Love the addition of the cute metal signs, alpine tree and large Christmas bells added to my pots compliments of Hobby Lobby. The cute lot packages are from Amazon. And all together they complete what we wanted so that my husband will stop threatening to put lights on the house. He knows I don’t want him up there. lol

Someone is 50

 Someone turned 50 today!  And I pulled off my first surprise party for him. I was able to grab plenty of snack for pickup and delivery from Walmart and Gerbes and then sneakily tell him my dad and sister were coming for a small Thanksgiving snack night thing. This threw him off. He just thought I over bought until people kept trickling in. He finally asked who was coming and I told him that was the surprise. It was really just close friends and family but that came to about 40 without kids. So good to see everyone and so glad everyone celebrated with us. 

Recycle Decor

 Recycle when you can. 

Anyone who knows me knows I hate to waste money or things.  So when I’m ready for a change in decor I think long and hard.  In this case, I wanted to minimize the colors I had in my living room. This means new pillows or throws.  Well, as luck would have it I found the perfect pillow covers on Amazon. I took those green pillows and turned them dark grey to match a throw I had.  They fit perfect and look perfect.  And best of all they cost $10 total and I didn’t have to sell or throw out the old pillows. 

Make the best of these times

 

I missed that game because an adult kid was home for a visit. The choices we sometimes have to make having kids and especially when they move away. But the youngest daughter definitely makes the best of everyday and all times.  Slow down. The best is still to come. 

Love these girls, so much, getting ready for pajama night at the the game. The stands hadn’t even filled up yet. 

Keep muddling

 

Keep pushing.  Keep muddling through if you have to. Life is easier in small bites. Don’t procrastinate and end up creating more work and anxiety for yourself.  Truly this works. Now I’d only my kids would take note!  

Can I? Should I?

Choices in parenting are hard!  They don’t always have to be. There are definitely things you can do to make life easier as a parent. Organize your week and take offers to help are just a couple. 

But sometimes parenting is just hard and you can’t press the easy button. You can’t just let kids have whatever they want because it keeps the peace at the moment and because you have the money to do so. They need to see you stand your ground and be firm. And then to in a lot of situations know why you made that choice for them. And yes I mean for them. When they’re younger they do not have the capacity to make all of their own decisions. You are there until their brain matures to make those for themselves. You are there to teach them along the way. It’s a long 20+ year process.  Think about it in the context of the things you do for them, regardless of financial abilities, are small when they’re younger but they grow with the child’s age  and bailing them out of trouble or continually buying them what they want just because you can will cause them to potentially get into trouble regardless of consequences or have no real regard and respect for  money or people.

Teach by example. Talk out loud, at the diner table, about the choices the family is making. Let them see you and hear you talk about somewhat hard stuff. Let them hear you say I can’t because of xyz even though I want to. And then teach them to ask themselves can I.  And not just can I, should I. Just because you physically can doesn’t mean you should. 

Ask the hard questions. Teach them to ask the hard questions of themselves and be honest with themselves. Teach them to fish!