Fantasty vs. Reality

Have you ever wished you were "that" mom? You know, the one who appears to have it all together. Perfectly manicured nails, stylish hair, perfectly applied make-up. Fit and ready to face the day. Maybe your version of "that" mom prepares organic meals from scratch for her children. Or perhaps "that" mom has a spotless home and well-behaved children. I'd like to welcome you to a not so perfect place called "reality."

This is what my mornings would look like in my fantasy world:

• 6:00 AM - Wake up to a quiet house. Fix myself a cup of hot tea and nestle down in my sun room for morning devotional reading. Pray, reflect, relax and savor the moment.
• 6:45 AM - Exercise 
• 7:30 AM - Shower, get dressed, put on make-up, fix my hair.
• 8:00 AM - My delightfully cheerful children request permission to get out of bed. They happily eat what I put in front of them. And then read quietly for the next hour. 
• 9-12 AM - Fun activities with my children: crafts, reading books, playing at the park.
• 12:00 - I would serve a highly nutritious lunch, incorporating both fruits and vegetables.
• 1:00 -3 PM Ben naps
• 3-4 PM - More playing with the children.
• 4-5 PM - Prepare a delicious and nutrition meal for my family from scratch
• 5:30 PM - Serve dinner, get everything cleaned up. Enjoy an evening of family time. 
• 7:30 Ben and Andrew go to sleep
• 7:30-9:30 - Hang out with the husb
• 10:00 PM Go to Bed.

Reality:

• I wake up three times in the middle of the night to attend to a teething child.
• 6:00 AM - Husband gets up with the two-year-old in order to help with the sleep I lost getting up with the 6-month-old the night before.
• 7:30 AM - I am awakened by a two-year-old standing next to my pillow saying "Gick up Mommy, Gick up. ("Get up" for those of you not fluent in toddler speak).
• 7:45 - Change child's diaper, get him dressed. Turn on Netflix.
• 8:00 I lay on the couch in a groggy stupor (thanks to the 4 hours of sleep I had the night before) while my oldest watches PBS. 
• 8:15 AM - The baby wakes up and needs to be fed, changed, and dressed (I'm still in my pajamas.)
• 10:00 AM - I remember that I haven't eaten breakfast and that I'm quiet hungry. So I grab a handy packet of my son's gummy fruit snacks (They have 10% fruit juice in them, so that should count as a serving of fruit).
• 11:00 AM - Surf around the web on Facebook or Pintrest while Ben plays happily with his toys.
• 12:00 - Heat up a hotdog for Ben. (Ketchup is a vegetable, right?) Son refuses to eat what I fix for lunch and demands cookies instead.  Cookies are denied resulting in a kicking and screaming tantrum.
• 1:00 - Lay Ben down for nap.
• 1:30 - Take a shower if Andrew is content and finally get dressed for the day (which usually entails a t-shirt and jeans). If I'm lucky, I'll have enough time to blow dry my hair. I don't even bother with the make-up since I won't be leaving the house today. 
• 2:00 - Surf the web while Ben continues to nap.
• 3-5: Watch Super Why, Sesame Street, or Fireman Sam
• 5 PM Heat up a frozen dinner.
• 6 PM Pile the dishes by the sink with the promise that "I'll clean them later"
• 7 PM Bathe the kiddos; get their jammies on.
• 7:30 Lay Ben down 
• 8:00 Try to find the motivation to do the things I've put off all day long. 
• 9:00 Facebook or Pintrest while hubby does schoolwork
• 12:00 - stumble into bed around midnight depending on when I'm able to get Andrew to sleep. 
• 1:30 - Wake up and attend to an upset teething child.

Rinse and Repeat.

I suppose the frustrating thing for me is that my "Fantasy" is full of obtainable goals and activities. I feasibly COULD do all of those things in the day, but most of the time I don't. It's not that I don't have the time or opportunity, it's that I lack the motivation. I often choose to do "other" things, usually things that are of no value or worth.

At this stage in my life, sleep is as valuable as gold, primarily because it's such a rare commodity. So the likelihood of waking up before my kids get up is slim to none. I'm not going to wake up at 5 AM especially since I don't go to bed until 1 or 2 AM.

I'm just not "that" mom. I don't have it all together all the time. My house is routinely in a state of disorder. I don't always take care of myself physically or spend a lot of time on my appearance. Most times I forget to pluck my eyebrows until I'm in the car and get a good look at myself in the rear-view mirror.

The majority of the time, I'd rather spend an hour on Pintrest than clean out my closets or wash my dishes. I guess I'm normal, but there's always that temptation to compare myself to other moms. I like to think that they have it all together, but I have the sneaking suspicion that there is no such thing as a "perfect mom" or a "perfect wife."

My main thing is that I know that there are things that I can do better. As a recovering perfectionist, I've learned that it's OK not to do everything perfectly. I don't have to be a perfect mom, but I'd like to do better. I'd like to do a better job of taking care of myself, both physically and spiritually. I'd like to do a better job of taking care of my house and family. It's a gradual process which will take a lifetime to improve on.

I think I'm going to try to find just ONE thing to work on this next month. To try to change everything at once would not be realistic. So, I've decided I'm going to eat breakfast every day. I'm going to sit at the table with my Bible and enjoy some tea and toast. Slowly but surely my fantasies can become reality.

Free $10 Credit to Beyond the Rack

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love the word "free." Right now you can get a free $10 credit to Beyond the Rack. They have some fantastic stuff right now. They have a variety of home/kitchen products as well as a lot of great items for every member of the family.

Right now you can get this awesome $30 spice rack for only $4.99 by using this link to sign up.

Or if kitchen stuff isn't your thing. There is a great selection of European 100% leather infant shoes for only $9.99 after the free credit, usually they are $35. That's a $24 savings!

There really is something for everyone. Check them out and sign up for your free $10 credit today!

They have a variety of items for UNDER $10 which means you can get some great stuff for FREE!

Ten Tips for De-cluttering and Organizing Toys

Toys are a little bit like rabbits. They seem to multiply in dark corners and they make a tremendous mess. Ok, but seriously, keeping the rooms in our hose clutter free can be a bit of a challenge. My son's toys seem to creep up in every room of the house. I've even found them in my shower and under my bed. So how do we keep this toy tide under control? Here are my top ten recommendations for de-cluttering and organizing toys in your own home.

1. Buy some baskets or buckets to help keep your kids stuff contained. 
2. Clean out the toybox. If you child hasn't played with the item in the last two weeks consider rotating it out. Chances are they won't even notice that it's gone (that is, if they don't see you removing it, if you are caught in the act, they will claim that that toy is their most prized possession).
3. Make your organization age appropriate. For younger kids consider placing a picture of what needs to go in the bin on the outside of the container. Even toddlers can understand this basic concept. Cars go in the container with the car picture on them, blocks, books, etc.
4. Think outside the box. I turned an old entertainment stand into a toy center in my sons room. All of his toys are now contained in an organized space. It helps his room seem cleaner and it eliminates the cluttered feeling.
5. Re-purpose items. I saw a mom who used those magnetic kitchen strips used for knifes to store her sons hot wheels. The magnetic strip held the cars in place and kept the organized and off the floor.
6. Encourage your child to go through their toys themselves. Make a family trip to a shelter or donation center and explain how the toys that we're tired of can really be special to someone who doesn't have any toys. It can be a good learning experience for all involved, and can help keep the greedies under control.
7. For every new toy that comes in, one needs to be rotated out. This helps keep the room being overwhelmed with toys. Before you bring the new item in, encourage your child to select one toy to remove. It may be an item that they've outgrown, or one that is broken. Placing a toy limit helps keep things from getting out of control.
8. Consider selling some gently used items on e-bay or in a garage sale. Sometimes if kids can "earn" the money from the sale it can encourage them to part with the item.
9. Don't contribute to the problem. If you child doesn't need any more toys, don't buy them. Kids don't want us to buy their affection, they want us to spend time with them. In the long run, they won't remember every toy they owned, but they will remember quality time spent with a parent.
10. Create boundaries. It's ok to have a "no toy" space. For example, we keep toys out of the guest bedroom, so that it's clean and tidy for company when they come over. 

There are several practical steps that you can take to help keep clutter under control. No one likes stepping on toys in the middle of the night. With a little bit of practice, you too can help you child keep the toys from overwhelming the space.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hot Wheels® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Fall Giveaway Festival

RetailMeNot has every online coupon and promo you could ever hope to find—all in one place. With the help of a dedicated community, RetailMeNot thrives as a money-saving mecca free of full-priced foes. With more than 1,000,000 coupons from over 100,000 stores, RetailMeNot is your go-to site when you want to grab the goods to create a one-of-a-kind Halloween costume, lock down the biggest savings on Black Friday and Cyber Monday or surf the Web for financial finds.

RetailMeNot is giving away an iPad2 to one lucky person! Visit Sassy Mama in LA, Simply Stacie, Makobi Scribe and Matter of Cents to enter the giveaway.

The holiday greeting card season is just around the corner! Photo Card Creations offers a wide variety of cards to fit your needs! They just introduced 50 new designs this fall, as well as a new way to preview your cards before you order them. You can zoom, re-position, and even change your photos to black and white or sepia. You can see exactly what your photo card will look like! You can choose from a variety of backgrounds and photo border colors.

The text is fully customizable, allowing you to select the font, color, and size that suits your needs!

I have used them in the past with great success. The card quality is excellent. They are printed on high quality paper using leading technology. A professional graphic designer handles each order, ensuring that your cards come out the way that you would like them to.

Once you've finished customizing your card you can place your order online, cards are shipped approximately three business days later! They even have a promotion for free shipping on orders placed before Sept. 21st!

Photo Card Creations also offers a great selection of birth announcements, thank you notes, and party invitations! There is truly something for everyone!

Mompact: Review and Giveaway of Little Looster Booster

I have two kids age two and under. I spend most of my day changing diapers. I dream of the day when my oldest is potty trained. We read books about going on the potty. We talk about going on the potty, but so far we've had no success. I've been looking into different potty products to help us with our potty-training endeavors. I recently had the opportunity to try the Little Looster and I'm a definite fan.

The Little Looster is a wraparound step stool that fits around the contours of the toilet. Unlike other step stools that may move or slip, the Little Looster remains in its place, and does not interfere with grown-ups who may also need to make use of the facilities. In my bathroom there is not a lot of space between the toilet and the door. I was initially concerned that there would not be enough room to open the door with the Little Looster in place, but it fit perfectly. I was able to open the door without any difficulty.

My two-year-old was able to easily climb up on his own. His feet did not dangle when he sat down, but they were able to rest securely on the Little Looster.

I would definitely recommend this product to parents. I love that the Looster Booster enables my son to use the "big potty" which means I don't have to spend time cleaning out a small potty (or trying to discreetly hide it when company comes over.) This is a great product for parents who are tight on space!

I give the product five stars: It's easy to use, easy to clean, and is a great resource for those with young children.

They are currently available on Amazon for only $34.99. (I think not having to clean out a tiny toilet is definitely worth the price!)

You can learn more about the Little Looster by visiting their website at http://www.littlelooster.com



This post is part of the Mompact Blog Tour. There are 120 blogs participating with over a hundred fantastic reviews and giveaways. You can return to www.mompact.com to find a complete list of links. (Or click on the Blog Hop Banner at the top of the page)

  I received a complimentary product to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed are my hones thoughts of the product

Continue to the next blog on the hop: Yummy! Yummy! Yummy's review of Bunchees

 

CouponCabin's 25 Crazy Dayz of Giveaways - Sign Up Now!

Have you ever visited a giveaway blog and wondered how you can build a blog following of your own? Blog hops are a fantastic way to build your followers and increase your site's stats (making your site more appealing to PR reps and companies).

Simply Stacie, Makobi Scribe, and Sassy Mama in LA are hosting the hop. CouponCabin is sponsoring the event and offering some HUGE prizes including iPads, MacBooks, and cash! Sign-ups just opened today. Reserve your spot in the hop and get a chance to earn giftcards and fantastic prizes. Thanks Simply Stacie's for sharing the info!

Are you ready for an AMAZING giveaway hop? and I mean AMAZING!!! CouponCabin’s 25 Crazy Dayz of Giveawayz is hosted by Simply Stacie,Makobi Scribe and Sassy Mama in LA and sponsored by CouponCabin.com, a leading online destination for coupons including coupon codes, printables, grocery coupons and more. Here are the giveaways for your readers:

Grand Prize: MacBook Air (11-inch, 128GB; ARV $1,199)

First Runner Up: iPad2 (16GB, with Wi-Fi +3G; ARV $629)

Second Runner Up: $250 VISA Gift Card

Other Prizes: $100 VISA Gift Cards will be given out to four (4) additional winners

Want to hear something super, duper cool? Bloggers are eligible for FANTASTIC prizes as well!!

• The blogger who refers the most readers to the giveaway will win a MacBook Air

• The blogger who refers the 2nd most readers to the giveaway will win an iPad2

• The blogger who refers the 3rd most readers to the giveaway will win a $250 Visa Gift Card

Total Value of Prizes: $4,300!!

There's even more!! Each participating blogger will receive a $20 Target Gift Card for each blog that they refer who registers to participate (No, you cannot refer yourself!)

Is that cool or WHAT!

The main giveaway for these fantastic prizes will be held on the three host blogs and we will also feature a linky so that readers can hop to enter all the other giveaways on participating blogs. Reader entries will start on November 1st and go through November 25th.

Sign-up now to secure your spot!

How to Participate:

Sign up on the form HERE (Tell them Mommy's Minute you)and send a $5 administrative fee via Paypal to SassyScorpYM@gmail.com. (This is very easy to do - this is the second hop I've participated in w/ these ladies, it's safe)

When:

November 1 at 12:01 am EST to November 25, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be announced during a live event on Twitter on November 28th. Further details will follow at a later date.

Requirements for participating blogs:

• Have a giveaway specifically for this event and cannot start before start time, or end before specified end timeMinimum prize/pack value of $25

• Display the event button in your post so hoppers can easily identify it.

• Display the linky in your post to encourage hopping

• Comply with proper disclosures, no entries that violate Facebook policies (i.e. requiring comments on walls), must follow FTC guidelines (no extras for making purchases, etc.)
• Sign up for CouponCabin’s Blogger Email Newsletter. They will send you top coupons, promotion and giveaway announcements geared specifically for bloggers. There is no cost to joining their newsletter. By providing your email address at sign up, you will be automatically enrolled.

• Since this event is sponsored by CouponCabin, we ask that your giveaway sponsor for this specific event not be in direct competition with them (ie. another coupon website).

Only bloggers who are participating in CouponCabin’s 25 Crazy Dayz of Giveawayz are eligible for the Blogger prizes (Macbook Air, iPad2 and VISA Gift Cards).

The Blogger & Reader Prizes will be open to both US and Canada.

What does all this mean for you?

A great deal of traffic to your blog, opportunities to network with other bloggers and eligibility to win the Blogger prizes! Plus it will be lots of fun!

Want to take part in CouponCabin’s 25 Crazy Dayz of Giveawayz Hop?

Sign ups are now open! Please fill out the form (tell them Mommy's Minute sent you) and submit your administrative fee of $5 to SassyScorpYM@gmail.com We will email you within 24 hours to confirm your participation. Then please spread the word and tell others about this amazing hop and to say that YOU referred them!!

Thanks to Simply Stacie for sharing this info!!

Good luck to all bloggers involved!

 

Does Becoming a Mom Mean Giving Up Your Dreams?

Is it possible to pursue dreams and motherhood at the same time?

I just finished reading the book Quitter by Jon Acuff, blogger of StuffChristiansLike.net. Why is a stay-at-home mom doing reading a book about quitting your day job to pursue your dream job? After all, I don't technically have a day job . . .well, not a paid one at least, and motherhood certainly is not a job that I could/would quit. So, why was I attracted to this book?

Plain and simple: I'm a dreamer.

The moment I took on the title "mom" the "Sarah" part of me didn't disappear. I still have a unique set of God-given gifts and abilities, and I believe they're there for a purpose. They exist to help me fulfill my dream. Acuff doesn't word it quite in this way, but I personally believe that each individual was created by God to fulfill a purpose. If you breathe on this earth, then you have a reason for living. I believe that our "dream" and our "calling" can be synonymous. Why would God give us talents and desires if he didn't intend for us to use them for His purposes? Our task is to unite our unique selves to the work we were created to do. Does that responsibility end when we become mothers? I think not.

Don't misunderstand me. Motherhood in itself is a noble and important calling, and for some people it may be their sole calling, and there is not a thing in the world wrong with that. I know that these children have been entrusted to me for a reason and God has equipped me with everything I need to be the best mother to these particular kids. However, I also believe that it's OK to pursue our dreams, our destinies (insert dramatic music here). To cultivate our skills and abilities- to set goals and have godly ambitions.

I don't claim to have it all together, but I have observed from my own personal experience that if I don't set attainable goals I will accomplish very little. I will remain in survival mode - accomplishing only what needs to be done to make it through to the next day. I think pursuing dreams and having a plan will actually enable me to become a better mother.

Kids grow up. They leave home (hopefully not to come back and live on your sofa). Then what? Although your children are yours forever, the amount of time that they remain under your direct influence is limited in the grand scheme of your lifetime. Who will you be when your children are grown and the days of 24/7 mom duty are behind you?

As a child, I always dreamed of becoming a published author. I spent summers scribbling in notebooks and reading every book I could get my hands on. This blog is, in part, a manifestation of that dream, but I still have so much to learn. There are writing workshops that I could attend, books I could read, lectures I could listen to. Am I progressing toward my dream of writing or am I putting it on hold until it's more feasible?

I may not have the time to sit down and write a 50,000 word novel at this stage in my life, BUT I can move toward that goal. I can learn. I can hone my skills and I can take steps in that direction. Motherhood may alter the course, but I'm still capable of taking that journey. If we wait until we "have the time" we'll be waiting for decades and we'll miss opportunities along the way.

We should never offer our children on the altar of our own dreams, but if you have the desire and the ability, don't be afraid to take that next step to put your dreams into action.

Pursuing our dreams makes us better mothers. It enables our sons and daughters to see that not only are we unique individuals, but that we can make a difference. So, whether your dream is to open a bakery on Main Street or to feed starving orphans in Africa, don't be afraid to take that first small step.

So, what's my point? Don't give up on your dreams. They are there for a reason.  God has big plans for you.

Question: What are your dreams? Have they altered since becoming a parent or entering the "real world"r?