Tag Archives: life

July 15, 2014 · 12:12 am

Chicken Soup For The Soul, “The Multitasking Mom’s Survival Guide” Review & Giveaway!!! 3 Winners!!!

Do you ever feel like you have so much on your plate you can never catch up? I feel like that most days. I always look around and feel that I just have so much going on. With a house in chaos because no less than 5 major home improvement projects are happening, a very busy career as a marketing director, busy blogger and writer, brand ambassador, and handling a few businesses that my husband and I have, added to the fact that we have 5 kids and a big house (ever see the movie The Money Pit?), where there is always something to be done, I can feel like things are swirling out of control. I am blessed to be able to work from home but I still work and work a lot! I make time to play but probably not as much as I should.

When I was picking out books to review from Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing, I chose The Multitasking Mom’s Survival Guide. Do you wonder how I made that decision? I didn’t think so. I love this book because it’s filled with stories with moms like me, some who juggle and wonder how to keep all those balls in the air just like I do. I have found that it’s okay to give yourself permission to say, “I am done for the day” and leave whatever for tomorrow and if it doesn’t get done then so be it.

I know that I need to prioritize what really needs to be done, my family needs, my needs, jobs that have deadlines are all first. Then the things we want to get done can come next, but if I don’t get something done, I’m going to stop beating myself up for it. The opposite is true to that too. I read in one story in the book, we are told over and over the importance of playing with our kids, that messy houses are signs of great moms, but our kids need to see that we do have to work. Whether it’s for a job or doing the laundry, we teach them important things by showing them we have responsibilities that need attention too. That really allows moms to release some of that mommy guilt we all carry in one or two large suitcases with us. Let’s unpack some of that today!

Stories that show the importance of a mom taking me time strike a very strong chord with me. Often times I want to put my needs last but really, when I do the things for me I need to do or just spend some down time doing something I enjoy, it really helps my mood, spirit and productivity. It’s just recognizing that if we don’t take care of our needs we can’t do a good job taking care of anything else and risk becoming resentful.

Stories about slowing down, learning from our kids, juggling a career and laughing after the fact among others will show you how other moms are surviving their multitasking years. Read some great tips, funny disaster stories, and fill your mind with great ideas for your own life. Best of all, you will know you are in good company and not alone. You can purchase the book on Amazon.com.

CSFTS Mom's-Multitasking-Survival-Guide-Front-Book-Cover

Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! 3 lucky blog readers will win their own copy of The Multitasking Mom’s Survival Guide! Thank you to CSFTS Publishing for the review book and for sponsoring this great giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Chicken Soup for the Soul; The Multitasking Mom’s Survival Guide Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

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Tagged as 3 Winners, book, Busy, Chicken Soup for the Soul, giveaway, home, Husband, Juggling, kids, life, Mommy Ramblings, Mutltitasking, play, review, The Multitasking Mom's Survival Guide, work

January 7, 2014 · 12:39 am

Remembering The Enduring, Sage Advice Passed From Parent To Child

Advice board

Recently, I was asked what’s the best piece of advice my parents gave me that still resonates with me today. When I gave it some thought, I had to be honest and say it’s very hard to pick just one. My parents are no longer with me in this life, but they left me with so many golden nuggets of advice and were great role models.

wisdom

I would have to say that one of the contenders would be something my dad said a lot,”Learn to love the people that hate you.” Now, what’s meant by that is that you should not consume yourself worrying about people who are causing you grief. Today these people may be referred to as haters, but whatever you call them, leave them in the past and don’t let them rent space in your head.

Sometimes, it’s easier said than done, especially when we need to deal with them on a daily basis. It can help to remember that the reason they’re so nasty and/or vindictive may be that they’re truly very angry, insecure or discontent. Tearing others down is one of the easiest ways they can feel better about their lives. The live in a fantasy where they shout from the rooftop how great things are, when in reality they are drowning in misery. You know the kind of people I mean, the ones who no matter what it is, will find a way to belittle, mock or condemn someone or something.

people-hate-you

For instance maybe it’s the new picture of someone’s baby, even if they say, “Oh it’s cute.” they will follow with some backhanded comment like “doesn’t look anything like the father, it’s probably not his.” Whatever it is, they have something to hate, they constantly talk badly about others no matter where they are or who they’re with. They only deviate from the ridicule when they stop to add self-praise for themselves or boast about their job, kids, spouse, car etc. These kinds of people are draining to be around and you can be sure that if they’re bad mouthing people in front of you, that you’re the subject of their tearing down when they’re out with others.

wisdom-for-kids

We all know people like this and we may have several in our own families. So it’s inevitable that we’ll have to deal with them. Sure, you could confront them, but it will never work. Even if you came right out and told them what you thought of them, they would find some way to deny it all and try to attack you. It’s so not worth your time. So, if their behavior bothers you, leave and keep your distance. Just remember, they must be miserable or they wouldn’t need to rip others apart. Move toward and surround yourself with people who lift you up, people who make you feel good, people who see the good in others and that you genuinely have fun with and like to be around. Life’s too short to spend with miserable people, so just release them from your thoughts, bless them and move on. That’s good advice! Thanks Mom and Dad!

advice

Share some sage words of advice you carry with you from your parents. I would love to hear what they are!

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Mom's Guide To Home Organization

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Your Time: Learn how to get more done in less time by streamlining everyday duties, creating morning, after-school and bedtime routines, and effectively managing extracurricular activities.
Your Belongings: Use Debbie’s simple but effective C.P.R. method (Categorize, Purge, and Rearrange) to organize, toys, clothes, children’s artwork, paperwork, photos, collections and more.
Your Home: Follow the step-by-step instructions for organizing every room in your home, plus find help for keeping your child’s schoolbag, desk, locker, and home study area organized.

Follow the book from start to finish for a complete home makeover, or dip in here or there for help with one problem area at a time. The tried-and-true advice will help you simplify your life so you can spend less time struggling to keep up and more time savoring everyday moments with your family.

spacetospare

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Tagged as A Mom's Guide to Home Organization, book, clean, Clutter, Debbie Lillard, Family, home, kids, life, Management, Mommy Ramblings, Orgaization, Schedule, Time

June 1, 2013 · 3:30 pm

Cherish Life!!!

I am sitting here on my porch swing, doing a little work and resting from just doing a photo shoot for some bathing suits, sunglasses and sunscreen we are reviewing. My photo shoot went something like this, “Come on kids, the sun keeps going in and out and I am afraid it might rain. Hurry, get these trunks on. Luke, let me help you. Oh my, how could these 4Ts be so big on you? They are never going to stay on.”

After trying safety pins and a multitude of other things it was just not going to work so we decided to just wing it and get this done in case it does rain. Then the other part when we got down to the dock went something like this, “Okay, we have to make this quick, I still need to review the chainsaw. Yes, you can put your feet in but you can’t go swimming. Don’t throw the rocks, did you hear me? Stop with the rocks, look over here, okay you can put your feet in and splash, don’t lean over that far! Okay take the sunglasses off, okay put them back on. Luke stop with the rocks! Okay, I think I have enough, let’s go. No, we have to go back to the house now, right now!”

So I am sitting here taking a stress break because frankly I have so much on my plate. I mean I have articles to write for my editor, people to train, customer service issues, plus all the reviews I need to finish and get up for this blog and of course being a mom and a wife and trying not to have a nervous breakdown and did I mention we are doing a dual birthday party for both little ones and we invited his entire pre-school and my other son’s kindergarten class. No idea what we will do if the weather turns bad and due to what happened last year when I planned and planned for the party and had everything arranged and we had to change locations at the last-minute because it decided to rain, I am not really planning and that is now stressing me big time.

So back to the present, I am sitting here and on this very warm day, can still feel a cool breeze blowing in from the lake and my little guys are racing around and around the house on a race track (yes, we are the only people who probably have a race track that runs the entire perimeter of their house and garage. So about every 1.5 minutes because it is pretty large my little guys pass in front of me. and I smile and then I get sad. I get sad because I think of all the petty things like I just mentioned above and more. How I could feel there is a lot on my plate when others have the weight of the world on their shoulders? How could I worry about some rocks being thrown in the lake or a birthday party that should only be about kids having fun and in the end won’t notice if a certain decoration is up or if there was something missing. Then I feel guilt because I think of one of the women I work with who has a grandson fighting for his life and I think how much he would love to be riding around on a race track and I think of those friends that are dealing with kids with real challenges who may never walk or live independently and the struggles they have and well…it just makes all those little things feel incredibly small.

So if you know anyone going through some tough stuff, let them know you are thinking of them, if you pray say a prayer for them, if you live close offer some help, maybe a meal, a shoulder, a friend. Also try to look at what is worrying you and put it in perspective so more time can be spent just cherishing the moments as they come. Not building everything up so it has to be some Pinterest worthy event but relishing even in the small, messy, loud, moments that define our lives. We never know what the future holds so don’t take one thing for granted ever!!!

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Tagged as "Joy", birthdays, Cherish, Friends, Goodness, Grace, Guilt, kids, life, love, Moments, Mommy Ramblings, Stress

March 16, 2011 · 10:07 pm

Glorious!!!

That is the word I would use to describe the almost 3 mile walk I just took. It was very mild here and although it was not sunny, Spring was definitely in the air. While I have walked on mild days in January there are many differences today. Today, the smells are different, and like I can smell the coming of the first snow in Autumn, I can smell Spring. I can’t tell you exactly what it is but it is unmistakable and fills me with a hope and faith that is hard to describe. This walk did as much if not more for my mental fitness as for my physical. I walked with Sassy and Zoey, not daring to take Delilah, who would probably decided a few hundred feet into the walk, that she did not want to continue. She is truly too heavy for me to lift up and I had no stroller to wheel her home in, if I somehow managed to lift her. When I take her, Jimi and I will need to go together and if she decides to just lie down and not move any more, one of us will have to run back home for the car.

Anyway, I walked with a smile on my face, so grateful for the chance to walk in the beauty that surrounds me. As I get older I know too well just how short life is. How we never know if it will be our last day or a loved one’s last day on this Earth. Given the tragedy in Japan, I do not take lightly the fact that I can walk, breathe fresh air and feel safe. Sometimes I feel like Heidi, but I love “my mountain.” It will not be long until the remaining thin layer of ice on the lake melts, until the water is full of boats and kids and life. While I was thinking of why it felt so different to walk today than say in January on a mild day, it hit me! The birds, the beautiful songbirds, our snow birds who take off to spend their winters in the south were back. Not only were they back but they were singing loudly and it was so beautiful to hear. As we came upon a house on the other side of the lake, a man who was putting up sheet rock inside a house stepped outside. It was near quitting time for him and he was putting some of his tools in the bed of his truck. He saw Sassy first and called to his co-worker in the house, “Hey, a little dog!” Then he saw Zoey and I approach. He was adjusting things in his truck and he said, “Wow, more people walking around here then cars.” I don’t know if he expected this small private lake to be like the Indy 500, but he said it, like it almost annoyed him.

I replied, “Well, it’s a beautiful day!”

“Could be better”, was his flat reply.

I thought for a moment, maybe he was having a bad day. Maybe he was the kind of person who felt everything could be better. Maybe, he had a fight with his wife or lost someone close to him. However, I told him that is was good enough and that it will get better. He muttered something and I thought a moment and as I passed the house I turned and looked over my shoulder in his direction and called out, “I’ll take it!”