Let Them Make a Mess

Happy Saturday, y’all! This was a another busy week, and I didn’t get my post up yesterday. But, I did a little event introducing my mini-boutique — it was so fun! Thanks again to everyone that came out!

I wanted to talk about something I have encountered as a mom. What I want to talk about isn’t revolutionary. It’s not going to make in the pages of Parenting Magazine or mentioned on the Today Show.

I just want to talk about kids making a mess.

Why? It’s just part of having kids, right? We all deal with cleaning the house, laundry, and, picking up toys. I know sometimes I have bribed (yes, bribed. You have too, right?) my son to clean the playroom. I’ve said something like, “If you clean up the playroom, we can go outside.” Or, “If the playroom is cleaned up, we can have a friend over.”

As much as we have to clean, it’s easy to resent this daily chore. Anybody feel like this? Trying to maintain a house, especially when the kids aren’t cooperating (or following chore rules) can create a lot of frustrating. 

That’s why this play session was a lot different.

The other day I was wanting to snap a pic of my kiddos playing. In order for me to do this in my house, I have to move my kitchen table. I know, crazy! It’s the only way I can get natural light with a white background, ha! But, I wasn’t planning on my little picture turning into something that inspired me.

While the kiddos were in the kitchen, I ran into the playroom and grabbed a puzzle and a bag pom poms. My daughter is obsessed with pom poms! 

After making back into the kitchen and giving them their goods, playtime quickly began. At first, there were only a few pom poms puzzle pieces on the floor, but that soon changed. They ended up All. Over. The. Floor. As the mess ensued, I could feel my anxiety rise, but I also noticed something else. My daughter was so clam and happy. She teetered around picking up and dumping pom poms. My son, played with his puzzle and then (queitly) joined in with his sister. What did I do? I watched. I played on my stomach and admired their sweetness. I snapped a many pics as I could. I wasn’t going to miss this little moment. This memory will stick me. A simple memory of I time that I put my Mom duties on pause and let them just play.

I put aside all of the chores, to-do’s, and rules. I just watched them play.

 I don’t have a spick and span hosue, but I like to keep things picked up. I’m also not super super hard on my kiddos. But, I do quick a little worked up when my house gets messy. Why? My anxiety! I can control what chores get done. I can control the mess. Yeah, I’ll stop there. Another day, another post, ha!

Next time the kids want to make a mess, let them. It can always be picked up. I’m glad I let them make a mess in my kitchen. I second guessed myself, but I’m happy I flipped my “mom” switch off and just watched them play. It was exhilarating and motivating. Kinda like, “You got this girl!”

Oh, if I could bottle that moment!

Do you recall a favorite Mom moment? Please share below!                                                      I would love to hear you story.

Have a fab weekend, y’all! Hugs to all of you mommas out there! 

 ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎

XO

Healthy Expectations

Hello, y’all! Lovely for you stop by! Excited it’s Friday? I am! This week has been a blur. A quick overnight night away, walking in a fashion show, and shooting has made for a busy week. Ready for some family time!

Today’s post is a recipe post, but I guarantee it’s a little different than what you’re expecting. You see, I had huge hopes for a candied apple post. After seeing some great recipes around the web, I wanted to make my own! For instances, the Delish “Apple Pops” video inspired me — actually, I thought, “Oh, that looks easy, I bet I can do that!”

After scheduling a time to shoot with my photographer and two trips to the store, it was finally time to make the apples.

My photographer, Serena is super creative and worked on the apples with me. She had the great idea to sandwich two pieces of apple together instead of using a single slice. I thought that was genius!

First, Serena used a mandolin to slice the apple. Next, I melted the Reese’s peanut butter chips and added the melted peanut butter to a slice. After adding a couple spoonfuls, I added the craft stick and added the other apple slice. To ensure that the apple slices would stick together, Serena threw them in the freezer for a few minutes.

And then things started to get weird…

After heating the caramel, I tried to drizzle the apples. Well, I wasn’t aware of just how hot caramel gets. OH MY! It burnt my finger and then hardened so quickly that I couldn’t drizzle the apples. So, I added the caramel back to the microwave, and tried to drizzle again. We quickly realized that the caramel was still too hard, so we re-heated it once again. Well, I suggested for Serena to drizzle the apples (she has much better technique) and I stepped behind the camera.

We somewhat got caramel on the apples, but not like we had imagined.

Next, I wanted to add chocolate to the apples. After following the instructions, I somewhat managed to burn the chocolate. Are we sensing a pattern here? Ha! To loosen the chocolate, I added some coconut oil. Unfortunately, this was not successful.

By this point, Serena and I had were laughing hysterically and had lost all seriousness. Although, the apples didn’t turn out as planned, we did have a few that looked pretty cute!

Sometimes things don’t go as planned. That’s life, right? 

You think you cross your t’s and dot your i’s and things still fall apart. Or, you build something up in your head, only for it not to met your expectations. Even in the smallest moments, I can recognize that without God’s grace and healthy perspective, life would be much darker.

I realize making candied apples is not a major life obstacle. I’m still learning. At 30 years, I’m still learning that sometimes expectations can be misleading. While there is nothing wrong with expecting great things, it’s all about how you handle the outcome, especially when it’s not what you had in mind. 

When things don’t work out, sometimes you just have to laugh. I’m not perfect, this blog isn’t perfect, and that is a-ok. Serena and I tried something new and it didn’t go as smooth as we hoped. But, that doesn’t mean we won’t try again.

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Is there something you are wanting to try? Have you stuck your neck out and didn’t see the result you wanted? Don’t give up. Pray, listen, and try again.                                                                 Life is too short not try new things.

Ya’ll have a beautiful weekend and try something new!

❤︎❤︎❤︎

XO

The Happy Challenge

August 1, 2016

Hey y’all! How was everyone’s weekend? We had a quite, relaxing weekend that involved playing in the sprinklers and a little barbecuing–so perfect!  

My daughter (for some unknown reason) has been very fussy at night. My husband and I can’t seem to figure it out! Needless to say, this had made me very tired. I don’t know about you, but for me, a lack of sleep is a one-way ticket to a crummy attitude. My “blah” mood this morning was immediately lifted when I wrote this post. Want to know why? I made a list of some of things to be happy about. I immediately felt more positive!

Here is my list…

1. Sunlight 
2. A wet, slobbery baby kiss
3.  Fresh Flowers
4.  Loved Ones
5.  God’s Timing–even when you’re waiting, there is a reason. I love that!
6.  Cupcakes
7.  Forgivness
8.  A good belly laugh
9.  Making someone else have a good belly laugh
10. Daily Chores. I complain, but I truly am thankful for laundry, vacuuming, and washing dishes. I get to take care of my family. 
11.  A Good Hug
12. Fall, football, and foliage 
13. Coffee
14. The way he looks at you
15.  Movie Quotes
16. That you don’t have to have it all together. Because, let’s face it, no one does. No One! 
17. A good workout 
18. A cool, crisp morning 
19. A baby’s first giggle 
20. Clean Sheets–is there anything better?
21. God’s never-ending love

Whew, now that’s what I’m talking about! Maybe I will make this a daily habit? We all have a lot to be happy about. Sometimes, it’s easy to lose grasp of all of the wonderful “things” in life. So, here’s my challenge to you. 

When you have a moment, sit down and right down as many things that you can think of that make you happy.

No matter the number on your list, I guarantee your list will make you smile.

I would love to hear from you. What’s on your list? 

❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎

XO