“Where are all your clothes?” my friend asked. I told her some of my clothes were dirty, some were folded in drawers, and that I was storing seasonal clothes in the bins at the top of the closet. I don’t remember why my neighbor and I were in my closet, but I do remember how she looked around the space in complete disbelief, then absently responded, “My closet is so crammed full of clothes.” It was as if she couldn’t imagine her wardrobe being pared down and ... VIEW POST
Storing Seasonal Clothes: Pro Secrets to More Closet Space
3 Healthy Ways to Deal With Feeling Overwhelmed
Over the past few months, our emotions, or certainly mine, have run the gamut from fear and panic to grief and sadness to relief and hope over and over again. During my lowest points, I wanted nothing more than to escape. But, I knew better than to try to bypass the hard stuff. If you’ve been with me for a while, you know I believe the only way to the other side of hard is through it. That requires us to learn how to deal with feeling overwhelmed and process emotions in a healthy ... VIEW POST
Practical Ways to Organize Your Closet Like a Pro
How many times have you stood in your closet, spending time you don't have, trying to find something to wear? It adds so much stress to your already hectic morning. amiright? Today, I'm sharing how to organize your closet like a pro so your mornings can go from stressed out to super chill. It's kind of like magic. How to Organize Your Closet Like a Pro Affiliate links are provided. Please read my full disclosure policy here. Purge Your Closet It doesn’t ... VIEW POST
9 Personal Goal Setting Tips for Busy Women
You've been so busy taking care of everyone else, there's no time left for you. The life you want seems to be on hold and you've all but given up on setting goals for yourself. What if I said goal setting for moms isn't impossible, that you can achieve joy and fulfillment even in this busy season of life? 9 Goal Setting Tips for Moms As a busy mom, we get used to setting aside our desires. It's what we do. But over time, sacrificing our needs and quieting our passions ... VIEW POST
How to Create A Weekly Planning Routine That Works
“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days.” Annie Dillard I felt like that net was ripped out from under me when I quit teaching. Without a job to fill my schedule, I realized I didn’t know how to make a day happen. I felt unproductive and started to lose my sense of purpose. Eventually, through a lot of trial and error, I figured it ... VIEW POST
The Heart Behind Cultivating Home
I used to think I was called to something big. Bigger than I could possibly imagine. Actually, I thought I was destined to follow in Oprah Winfrey’s footsteps. Not as a talk show host, but as a change agent, a thought leader...someone with incredible influence. Then, on September 17, 1998, Hannah Elizabeth Hines was born into this world. That six- pound-twelve-ounce-nineteen-inch bundle of baby girl changed me from the moment I saw her. It was indescribable love at first sight. From that ... VIEW POST
3 Good Reasons to Stop Trying to Be Perfect
There's nothing quite like motherhood to bring out the perfectionist in us. But as a recovering perfectionist, I've learned perfectionism is a losing battle with detrimental effects. All the more reason to stop trying to be perfect. 3 Good Reasons to Stop Trying to Be Perfect Perfectionism Breeds Discontentment I’ve been thinking a lot about hope this week. Especially how I tend to live without it. What I mean by that is I’m so used to waiting, and waiting and waiting and waiting, but ... VIEW POST
Make Room for Hope: The Power of Setting Intentions
You set goals. You even wrote them down in your planner. But nothing's happening. And now you feel like quitting. Before you give up, let's make room for hope and discover the power setting intentions for the day. The Power of Setting Intentions for the Day I don't do well with waiting. Especially when I feel like I've done all the things I'm supposed to do to see results; setting intentions for the day, writing goals, and doing the next right thing. Then, I get restless. So in retrospect, ... VIEW POST
Breaking Tradition: A Fresh Approach to Setting Goals
It happens every year. Watching people take down holiday decor and hearing talk about fresh starts and clean slates as soon Christmas is over makes me feel so rushed. That's not at all how I want to spend the last week of the year. Panic and frustation threaten to overshadow rest and reflection (even though I usually do set goals, pick a word of year, or both.) I've reached a point where rushing toward new goals feels wrong, like I'm pressing repeat on something that hasn't ’t served me ... VIEW POST
How to Overcome Negative Self-Talk
You look in the mirror as you get dressed and wish your body was different. Or you beat yourself up for not doing enough. Negative self talk is so subtle the habit slips up on us. We get used to pressing play on all those negative messages we start to believe them. Before we know it our confidence is shaken and we feel like a shadow of a person. And I know you don't want that. So, today we're going to talk about how to overcome negative self talk. How to Overcome Negative Self ... VIEW POST
How to Have a Productive Day
I grew more and more frustrated as I sat on the couch, not feeling well enough to do all the things I wanted to do. I fought feelings of embarrassment, maybe even shame, over not being productive. As I seek balance between productivity, rest and play, I'm realizing wanting to be productive isn't bad or wrong in and of itself. Productivity is very gratifying. It's how we share our gifts, skills and talents with the world. It's a gift to be enjoyed. It's only dysfunctional when I try ... VIEW POST
3 Ways to Let Go of Mom Guilt
I sat burdened for days after Matt and I got home from vacation. I was mad at my body for not feeling well and keeping me from fully enjoying my vacation with my daughter. I was angry that outside distractions interrupted quality time as a family, for me at least. As my therapist and I processed all these emotions, I realized I was taking on the blame and beating myself up with mom guilt. How to Let Go of Mom Guilt Process Your Emotions Our emotions are designed to serve us. ... VIEW POST
How to Relax From Stress, Starting Now
Relax? The idea seems completely foreign to most moms. How can you relax when someone always needs you? And when you can't get a moment to yourself. I've been there (and sometimes go back) and what I know for sure is you can learn how to relax from stress. How to Relax from Stress How long will I feel so relaxed? I wondered as I rinsed the sand off my sunkissed skin. There's just something about beach; the salt air, the crashing waves, the seagull's cry, and the ocean breeze all colliding ... VIEW POST
Expert Tips For a Good Parent-Teacher Relationship
"Will the teacher like my child?" "Will she accommodate my child's needs?" "Will the teacher get mad if I share a concern?" Yes, Yes and No. ;) I'll let you in on a secret, teachers wonder if you will like us, too. One of our greatest goals every year is good parent-teacher relationships. Because let's face it, how we get along can make or break the school year. So, as you settle into the new school year, I want to share a few keys for successful parent-teacher relationship. 3 Keys for a Good ... VIEW POST