Allyson Reynolds is talking metaphorically here. The phrase comes from a professor of English--the idea is to write objectively and avoid getting so lost in love with your favorite words, phrases, or ideas that you can’t “murder” them for the sake of creating something more succinctly wonderful. Now Allyson's applying it to motherhood (again, metaphorically)....
Ever feel like you move from one task to the next, but never actually get the most important things done? We've been there, too. Join our conversation on how to reverse this . . . even as a busy mother.
This podcast is for every mother who wants to slow down, see the value in her work, and experience true contentment (at EVERY stage of motherhood).
During one of Alex’s first feedings of the day, he suddenly stopped eating and started looking around the room. I felt very frustrated, thinking, “Great! Now it will take him longer to eat, which means he will nap later, which means...” and there I went, spiraling downward in thoughts of how this small delay was...
Is your life out of sync with your priorities? I guarantee that if you take action to make what matters most to you central to how you manage your life, the results will change your life for the better and you’ll be stronger and happier for it.
Does a never-ending to-do list nag on your mind? Do you feel guilt, or even agitation, when voices call you away from your tasks? Sometimes it’s in the battle of “The Baseboard Dilemma” we find the parenting truths we are looking for.
My little boy loves to sing, but sometimes I am not the best audience. This experience helped me to understand what a lucky mom I am!
Many of us struggle with the many demands of work and motherhood. How do we keep it all together? How do we figure out what is the most important thing at the moment? Join author Angie Mizzell as she describes her experience in how sometimes our priorities can make themselves very clear.
When my first child was about six months old, I realized that every day I set him down to play while I ran around to get things done. One of my repeated phrases was, “Okay, I’m just going to do (a list of six things), and then I’ll play with you.”
Is one of your children about to start their senior year? Are they preparing to fly the coop to discover a new world? It is times like these that we wonder if we, as mothers, have done all we can to help them prepare. Have we cherished precious family time together? Join author Julia Jacobsen...
Lately I have been thinking a lot about raising a child with a disability. Recently I heard that an old college friend had a baby that was born with some severe disabilities, and I have really been pondering about it and just thought I'd share my take on this.
Stephanie Nielson, creator of NieNieDialogues.com, has written an inspiring book that will remind you just how important family is.
Nine years ago I found myself in the intensive care unit of our local hospital holding my very sick seven-month-old baby boy. We had checked into the emergency room four days earlier when I realized my baby was having difficulty breathing.
Meg Meeker is a pediatrician who, drawing on her experiences with patients' mothers and other women in her life, has identified what makes happy mothers tick.
Do you ever feel like it’s impossible to fit a workout into your mothering schedule? Does the task of loading up the kids for a trip to the gym fill daunting? Seth Bigelow, a husband and father, shares some workouts that work for the whole family!
Four years ago, this was me. I was picking up the keys to my new car I had earned through my at-home business. I LOVED my work! Then I heard a wise woman say, “Time spent in one area is time taken away from another.” It’s a pretty simple phrase, then I realized...
So while there are 1000's of hours of Power of Moms work that needs to be done and countless other timely projects that are important to me and to others, I'm protecting my precious time with my precious kids and training my brain to focus on the here and now.
I know, I know--I'm supposed to take some "me time." So why do I hate doing it?
Filled with uplifting messages for each day of the month, When Motherhood Feels Too Hard is a powerful reminder of the divine role of mothers and the divine help they are entitled to. Through personal experiences, poems, scriptures and quotes, author Kelly Crawford offers mothers a spiritual lifeline for when it “feels too hard.”
What does balance really mean? In this one-hour podcast, Saren Loosli and Chrysula Winegar discuss how examining your priorities will help you find balance.
As the families of the world gather around their TVs to watch Olympic athletes perform unbelievable feats of strength, speed, and agility, I wonder how many mothers out there are thinking to themselves: Could my child be an Olympian?
I’m always impressed by the women around me who take the time to care for their families and others around them; women who seem to always be thinking of others and providing for them; women with full, busy lives, helping to lift up hands that hang down. Somehow, these are the same women who worry...
Sometimes I get so caught up in the busyness of doing "good things" that I forget to focus on what's most important. These seven questions can help any mom to identify and live according to what she wants most out of life--PDF download included!
Can joy really be found in life? See what this mother and teacher finds as she grapples with her pursuit of joy.
During the month of August, our top priority will be helping mothers figure out their top priorities.
In my early years of motherhood when I still vainly thought perfection was within reach, I was drawn to the life of Mr. Banks. You know, the British banker-father in the movie “Mary Poppins” who insists on running his home with precision.
It’s an amazing thing to be a mother in the 21st century. We really can “have it all” if we so choose: a family, a career, and the enjoyment of personal pursuits. But if we aren’t careful, we may end up more frazzled than fulfilled.
As I sat down to work on this article, my husband came in to see what I was doing. I told him I was trying to write an article on balance and asked him if he had any wise words for me. ”Balance is overrated” is all he had to say – then told me...
A few months ago, I took my children to an amazing concert and watched children perform amazing feats with their instruments. It was breathtaking to see these small people execute extremely difficult music. Then I wondered, do I have a gifted musician in my family?
Every day requires constant decision-making . . . clean up the mess or enjoy the children? Here are three guiding principles that continually set me straight.
I've realized that sometimes I say no without even thinking I could say yes. So the past few months, I’ve been trying say yes more – even though Children + Yes = More Mess.
Perhaps you've seen it elsewhere, but if not, here's Rachel Stafford's amazing essay on keeping our priorities straight during the summer...
Ever wondered how to appreciate your body (in spite of all its "imperfections"), while also making time to give yourself the nutrition and exercise you need? You'll love this podcast with Dawn Wessman and April Perry.
Today is the first day of summer for my family. School is out, the weather is great, and we are excited…so why did I end up in such a grumpy mood this morning?
Everywhere I turn in our home there are signs that a new season has arrived. While life is filled with many seasons, motherhood brings with it, its own seasons—each offering different experiences, challenges, and certainly changes.
The other day, my three-year-old, Spencer, asked if we could get out the Playdoh. In my mind, I was screaming, "NO! It will end up all over the kitchen. As I was about to verbalize these feelings, however, I thought a little deeper.
Extracurricular Activities are fun and add dimension to a child's life. These activities are a great way to discover and develop talents; but if you aren't careful- they can take over!
Finding time with your spouse is not a simple feat. And once you find that time, how do we focus our time with our spouses?
I don’t know about you, but I have a pretty strong love/hate relationship with the internet. On the one hand, I love that I can find whatever I’m looking for in cyberspace, as well as take caring of business. But as nifty as the internet is, it’s vastness can create some unique problems.
Do you want to be sure that the time you spend with your children is quality time? Whatever the ages and stages of our children, our time together matters.
My husband offered to take my son with him to run errands the other day and I thought, “Yes! I can finally get to those piles in my bedroom that are driving me crazy.” My next thought was, “Hmm…I should probably use this time for some one-on-one with my daughter. She’s been extra whiny and...
Deep down I know I am mentally "checking out" and creating the very stress I want to avoid. I found some inspiration in the children's book “Going on a Bear Hunt”. The idea is that in order to complete an adventure, we "can't go over it, can't go under it...gotta go through it!"
As a work-at-home mom I don’t venture out much during the day. With five young children, my husband and I rarely go out either because the logistics are far too complicated. (None of our children are old enough to babysit, and asking a friend to take five children for the evening feels like...
The one key to becoming my best Mom-self was to slow my frenetic pace, stop doing so many things for my kids and just BE with my kids. I got caught up in DOING so much that I lost track of who my kids were.
I was told practically from birth about the sacrifices a mother makes....blah blah blah.... back to me me me me me. I remember as a young woman I was told that I wouldn't really understand this concept of motherly sacrifice until I became a mom myself......blah blah blah.....back to me me me me me.
Then,...
I was a new mother and had a baby that did not sleep very well. I lived in a fog and I was desperate for sleep. A friend saw the bags under my eyes and recommended this book, and it truly changed my perspective on the importance of sleep.
Mine is one of the most common stories ever told: I was thrilled to have a baby--then surprised by how hard it was to be a mother.
A recent study explored whether or not children make us happy. What do you think? And is "happiness" the most important thing?
It doesn’t involve lasers, chemicals, pills, or suction, you don’t have to make an appointment with a professional, there are no unpleasant side effects, and best of all? It’s free! In fact, this makeover can be done right in the privacy of your very own home, any day of the week, whenever you need it....
Here is another reader question*: I am a young mom, three years out of college. My husband is pursuing a graduate degree, and I am home with our baby. While I am happy that I get to stay home with my son, I often envy my husband, being able to increase his intellect...
I’m coming up on a one year anniversary. One year since I made a HUGE leap of faith and moved to a new state. The move came on the heels of a life-changing event: divorce. Looking back on it now, I wonder sometimes where I found the courage to do it. I also wonder if I was slightly–well–CRAZY at...
“Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, not small, but valuable. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven’t been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn’t it be the other...
Power Hour is the best time management/self control/disciplined action I’ve taken for myself since becoming a mom. I love it because I don’t feel guilty for having to take time away from my children to get the stuff I need done. Power Hour in our house goes as follows: After everyone (including me) has eaten...
“I just spent twenty dollars on a spatula,” I said. My polite and ever-supportive husband simply responded, “Dumb.” “But,” I continued, “The money was well worth it, because I am committing now to never again go to a party like that out of obligation.”
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Angie
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Jun 5, 2010 • Every day we are all faced with multiple choices. These choices may be small, but they do have the potential to have a large impact upon our lives. Some choices may not be that important, while others are monumental. I thought once I had made the choice to be a stay-at-home mother, the decision...
I was in the middle of the frantic morning rush this morning, trying to actually respond to some emails and plan out my day when my 4-year-old, Charlie came in and demanded his ukulele. I was listening to some music and he wanted to put on a little rock concert. He kept asking me to...
Photo by Jennie Rowen Submitted by Jennie Rowen: Last night I had a plan. It entailed getting the kids to bed early so that I could watch a movie and then go to bed too. So, at about 7:45 I started directing the kids to their rooms so I could read with them and send...
Last Friday I attended a dinner for the women’s organization at my church. I debated about whether or not to go, but thought it would be good to support the church by attending as many of the activities as I could so I went by myself and sat by some friends. The theme for...
This book does a beautiful (and hilarious) job spelling out the incredibly high expectations we set for ourselves, and then it provides a "shot in the arm" to cure us all from this problem. With chapter titles such as "I Love Being a Mom, I Just Hate Doing It," and "Am I a Bad...
As I studied third world development and international relations in my undergraduate studies at Wellesley College and went on to study what education is and what more it could be with my Masters at Harvard, I figured out a whole lot of seemingly brilliant solutions to many vital issues. I felt I was headed for...
Would you like to have at least an hour of quiet time every single day? (Even if your children have stopped napping?) This post is FULL of ideas to get you started.
I often wondered, are the values we're teaching, like service, really sticking?
I love the idea of reaching your potential. This book’s theme centers around the idea of reaching your divine potential, that we are all on earth for a purpose. I love that these are talks, separate from each other, so I can read in short bursts of time, rather than all at once. ...
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