Update: 30 day challenge

Okay Okay Okay, don't shoot me... I know it has been well over 30 days, BUT I do have a reason for this!!!! See what had happened was (smacking my lips) lol. No really what happened was LIFE, and MOTHERHOOD. The last four months have been extremely busy: birthdays, family reunions, the end of a school year, summer camp, check ups for the kids, preparing for the next school year (school shopping), the beginning of the next school year, and between all of this sick children followed my countless doctor's appointments which in turn equal lots of sleepless nights! I have been worn completely out guys. I apologize because it has certainly been on my mind that I had been needing to update my readers on my challenge, but I hadn't been able to find the time SO here I am today updating you on my challenge.


Here we go: The first 30 days did not go so well for me. I failed my challenge big time. I don't know about you, but when I am preparing to do something I have to pamper my psyche. This is a key factor in any decision I am getting ready to make big or small. I have to say I thought I was ready. I made my mind up back in April and decided I was going to go for it. But I had not taken the "required" time out to prepare my mental for what my body was about to do, and I failed tremendously.  Okay wait, let me refresh your memory of exactly what I am talking about ... if you recall my husband and I had a 30 day sweet off challenge for me to give up cookies, sweets, snacks, the junk food! I was ready to give up those cookies, sweets, snacks, the junk food because I was tired of hearing my husband's mouth about my eating habits!!!! Okay, so I am not a good competitor, and this "truly" in the back of my mind was not a good enough reason to give up my sweets, and I do believe this is why I failed my first 30 days.

As a mother I sometimes get so wound up in doing things for everyone else, I become numb to anything that has to do with self. This is bad, but I had forgotten how rewarding it feels to accomplish a goal. Losing this challenge brought me back to life. I was awakened by feelings, My Feelings, and NOT everyone else's feelings. Yes I lost, and after realizing this and actually feeling it I felt horrible. This was no longer about losing a bet to my husband... I felt like I had let MYSELF down! I was truly disappointed in myself for not being able to do 30 days. In my mind I am thinking like 30 days, come on self, 30 days should be nothing.

My feelings of disappointment brought about feelings of determination. Determination to start over and do it the right way for MYSELF. I took the "required time" needed to pamper my psyche and on May 19, 2013 I began fresh, a fresh start a new challenge. I challenged myself to a new 30 day sweet off. And I made it, yeay me, go me, I did it! I was so proud of myself, I looked in the mirror and felt a sense of accomplishment. I am still so proud for starting Fresh and doing it for SELF. Not to say I wouldn't be proud of myself if I had won the bet, but you get my drift right MOMMY'S? I know I am not alone here, don't leave me hanging, I mean I know I am wrong for this late update but go easy on me... please pretty please with sprinkles on top mommy! lol

Overall,
the lesson learned here: set and accomplish goals for yourself!  Even if they are small one's, challenge yourself  by setting a daily or weekly goal and watch yourself divide and conquer! Keep YOUR feelings alive MOMMY'S!

XOXOXO
~*kisses~*

Mommy's Eating Habits turned 30 Day Challenge

Cookies… are all I think about. When I am running low on fuel, sweets are my go to treat ESPECIALLY COOKIES! I’m not really a foodie, but I am a junk food junkie. Making sure my husband and children eat a healthy meal each day (except Friday and Saturday) is something I swear by. BUT when it comes to me, truth be told I’m slacking! I could eat better, I could make better choices, I could and I should BUT I DON’T! It seems like I am always eating on the go while getting the kids off to school/daycare, doctor visits, track practice, tee ball practice, etc. I am always grabbing the treats, snack cakes, juices, candy, and cookies, just anything I see, I grab, eat and run. This has been my motto for the last three months: Eat and Run! Lol It’s sad because I want to do better, some days I even try to do better, but somehow I always get sucked in by multiple errands. I used to be good at packing a few healthy snacks the night before and stuffing them down in my purse so that I wouldn’t forget them. But lately, I’ve been slacking.

As you can see my “as of now” eating habits aren’t the best. I say “as of now” because I usually try and eat healthy at least three to four times a week. My husband is an exercise junkie, health food junkie, organic fruits and food type of guy; and although I am an off and on exercise, healthy eating type of girl, my husband surpasses me by the mile. Now before you go thinking my husband is some type of iron mike, well yes he is, BUT anyway lol he does have a weakness and its pastries! The difference in our eating habits would be that he has self-control when it comes to junk food and I DON’T!  He is so cautious so prim and proper on EVERYTHING that it makes me sickkk. Just seeing how he takes his time, to care for himself from eating to exercising to just getting dressed, inspires me to do better. BECAUSE I HAVE TRULY BEEN SLACKING!

My husband does all of our grocery shopping (and I do all the snack shopping) which is a no brain-er right? Because 97% of the time he refuses to put unhealthy things in his body, if he even thinks about something unhealthy or smells a big fat burger (that I’ve gotten from Burger King) he begins complaining about the smell is making him feel icky and his stomach is hurting blah blah blah! He just makes me sickkk, because he is so much healthier than me and he tries so much harder than I do. Furthermore, I got sickkkk and tired of hearing him make slide remarks about my eating habits so I challenged him to a 30 day sweet off, two weeks ago.  We swore that neither of us would eat anything sweet.

Of course he has done great by his promise, while I’ve been… I’ve been doing… let’s just say I’ve been doing a lot NOTHING! So today I have sworn myself to a 30 day sweet off. I am so proud to tell my husband that it has taken me two weeks to commit but I am finally surrendering and committing to the BET. All the healthy foods in our refrigerator and I choose to sneak cookies out of the pantry, and I do mean sneak, because if the kids saw me they would rat me out.  TODAY I AM SAYING NO MORE, WITH TEARS IN MY EYES. NO MORE SWEETS!

I would like to challenge other moms who eat and run… let’s hear it for a 30 day sweet off. No more junk food No more sweets, No more soda, No more unhealthy eating! We can do it, let’s ban together moms. My heart goes out to you… just say NO. Set your mind to it… there is nothing to it, but to do it!

                                

                                  30 DAY CHALLENGE MOMS, LET'S DO IT!

Mommy's Friends

As mother’s we have very few friends. Usually your mother, sister, aunt, neighbor, or cousin becomes your closest friend. Because a mother’s job NEVER ends our maternal instincts kick in AND we become programmed (almost like robots) with duties that we ensure to our last breath of the day are done! You see how crazy this sounds, but its truth! Our “motherly duties” consume us so much to the point where we neglect ourselves and our social lives. Yes, there is social media, but come on mommy I’m not talking about NEW STATUS UPDATES OR A NEW PICTURE OF YOURSELF/KIDS! Come on this is not how you socialize or is it?! I’m talking about the old fashioned “real” way of socializing; hanging out with your girl-friends, being silly, laughing, playing and enjoying the moment. And don’t give that age old excuse of “I only hang out with guys!” GET REAL~ Women need other women to talk to.You don’t have to have only married friends because you are married! Don’t get me wrong, having other married couples as friends is a lot of fun, but in most cases that’s unreal because all of your friends are not going to be married and there is nothing wrong with befriending or keeping your single girl-friends.  *BECAUSE we all know as we get married and have children that single friend becomes our lifeline to the outside world*

We need other women in our lives to share our lives with, to talk to, and to share our feelings and experiences with. Girl time is an outlet for us, just as playing ball or exercising can serve as an outlet for our men. We love to talk so what’s so wrong with allowing yourself a little “girl time?” Stop for a second and think about it… When is the last time you’ve hung out with your girl-friend? When is the last time you’ve had a mimosa or a margarita with your girl-friend? When is the last time you truly took your mind off of “mommy duties” and enjoyed the moment with your girl-friend? If it’s been months, call your girl up and make a date. Stick to that date no matter what happens at home… keep your scheduled “girl time” scheduled. DO NOT CANCEL!!!!!!  Baby cakes will be okay at home with the kids for a few hours. LOL, granted when you get back home your place will be a mess and the kids will probably not have eaten anything besides junk food, BUT at least mommy has had a fantastic time catching up on all things girlie!

So mommy’s I am saying this to say we need each other. No one understands what you are going through, how you are feeling, or exactly what you mean BETTER than she. WOMEN NEED WOMEN, PERIOD! Our friendship with each other is so much more than we know. We are examples to our daughters of how to maintain healthy friendships, with other women. We are examples to our sons of how nurturing women are with one another. Our love and loyalty for one another can be an example to our spouse of what kind of woman he has. For us (women) the love and loyalty that we display in our friendships is not going to be much different than the love and loyalty that we display in our relationships. We are loyal, loving, nurturing creatures! This is simply the way GOD created us to be. So demand more girl time, put the broom down, and pick up the phone. Call your girl-friend and save the date! Know this time is precious, she needs you in her life and you need her in your life! 

BECAUSE you are simply a mess without her!

XOXOXO~*kisses~*

Mommy's Easter Teach

As we all know Easter is this Sunday... oh how this is a cherished holiday for all of us whom have accepted Christ Jesus into our lives! This is the day Christ declared Victory over death. His resurrection symbols eternal life that is granted to all who believe in him. Christ's resurrection from the dead gave final and irrefutable proof that He was the Son of God.

Today I am writing about how to educate our little one's about this holiday. As we know Sunday will be filled with fun, treats, food, and great cheer for us all. But how do we educate our little one's on the true meaning of this day? Riding in my car this morning on the way in to work, I was trying my Best to figure out a good way to combine the festivities of the day along with the"True" meaning of this extremely important day. All my children could talk about was candy, the Easter bunny, dying the eggs, and hiding them for the Easter egg hunt, etc. etc. They were so excited about all of the festivities that come along with this day. I could barely hear myself think over the excitement they expressed. After dropping them off at school and the baby sitter's house my brain began working. My ears began to listen as my heart began to talk. There was no way we could celebrate this Holiday without involving Christ Jesus. Two of my children are too young to understand, so this is a no brain er... coloring sheets! As for my oldest two I really needed to think of a way for them to understand this Holiday is not about the candy, eggs, and the Easter bunny, but more so about Christ and how/why he rose from the dead.

Every morning I listen to Alice 107.7 ( love the Heather and D.C. morning show) my jamming station! Heyyyy Poole Boy wink wink! lol  Anyway back to the subject, So as I am listening to the radio they are discussing the exact thing I was thinking... Easter! Easter and how to get the true meaning of this Holiday across to our little one's. There was a poem that Heather read, and it truly resonated with me! It was perfect, a perfect way of how to intertwine fun festivities along with Christ's resurrection. The poem is called the Jelly Bean Poem/Prayer, by Charlene Dickerson. I would like to share this Poem/Prayer with you just as an idea if you are needing one; this poem can be helpful to children of all ages. 

Jelly Bean Poem (Jelly Bean Prayer)

contributed by Sherri, Rachel and Diana

written by Charlene Dickerson

Red is for the blood He gave.

Green is for the grass He made.

Yellow is for the sun so bright.

Orange is for the edge of night.

Black is for the sins we made.

White is for the grace He gave.

Purple is for His hour of sorrow.

Pink is for our new tomorrow.

An egg full of jelly beans, Colorful and Sweet

Is a prayer, a promise, A loved one's treat!!

Charlene Dickensen, 1997

We then put a jelly bean of each of the above colors in a plastic egg to take home and tell of Jesus' love!

I hope you enjoyed this Poem as much as I did, and to all my Beautiful Mommy's Happy Easter!

XOXOXO *~kisses~*

Mommy's Child with Challenges (CWC)

Savannah is my adorable, fun loving, yet very withdrawn 2 year old. She is extremely reserved, but in a comfortable setting (comfortable for her) she becomes energetic, talkative, playful, and just another rambunctious 2 year old. Savannah was born 2 ½ months early. Yes, she was a preemie due to a complicated pregnancy. Like any other mother I was doing everything I thought was right, but this pregnancy was just different, and I mean VERY different. Which, resulted in me being hospitalized off and on during the month of December (2010), and eventually having to have an emergency cesarean. I was so out of it till this day I don’t even remember what happened. All I remember is being hospitalized because I was in so much pain, the room was constantly spinning, and I was feeling as if I was not going to make it. When I finally came to, I was told that while being monitored I began having brain seizures, and the baby begin experiencing fetal distress. An emergency cesarean had been done and my daughter was born weighing 3lbs.     

                                       SAVANNAH

Savannah has endured many challenges… I call her my child with challenges (CWC), because she has/had so many. BUT as her mother I embrace these challenges for my baby, we meet them head on, deal with them as they come, and we overcome them ALL! Savannah is a survivor and I wouldn’t have it any other way. She has taught my husband and I patient, love! Through her we have learned how to examine each and every challenge to see the good and bad before we make a decision. My husband and I now haven’t a problem admitting to ourselves and other’s that our child needs therapy services. We have accepted this as fact, and we are both elated that we were able to realize and seek help for our baby. In the beginning we were in denial about Savannah’s needs. We were thinking oh she will be okay; she just needs a little time.  Well guess what… time passed and passed and passed, but Savannah was not getting better. Her special and yes I said special because there is nothing wrong with this word, It’s actually a word that needs to be spoken with confidence. Her special needs were not being met and her condition was declining more and more due to us, her parents, own fear of not wanting to accept that our daughter had special needs. Not due to anything that we did, but due to the way God made her.  Savannah is a blessing to our family, because without her we would have continued on with our busy lives (working, parenting, etc.) and would have never realized that we needed to slow down and take time to enjoy each and every moment with our children, as a family! Savannah has taught our entire family that being special is nothing to be afraid of.  

She is our shero; she displays her heroism through each and every obstacle that comes her way. She tackles challenges as if they were cookies waiting to be eaten, lol. She has come a very long way. Savannah has climbed the mountain of defeat, numerous times. She can walk, she can run, she can say hi she can wave bye-bye, she signs as she speaks, she laughs, she smiles. She is my CWC, and yes she is special, BUT special in a way that warms her mommy’s heart!

                                     Note to All Parents: 
If you feel your child (ren) need help in any way seek Professional Guidance. Don't let your own thoughts, or fear's deter you from getting the help your child (ren) needs. It's OKAY! This is what Professionals specialize in. Let their opinion be something that you and your spouse carefully consider before making any decisions. Just Plain and Simple: It's better this way, rather than you trying to diagnose the problem.


     Mommy's you don't have to be strong a meltdown is Totally Okay!
Taking a look back: After finding out what happened I was happy my baby and I were alive, BUT I was devastated at the condition she was in. I was hurt, upset, angry, confused, and most of all HELPLESS! My heart felt like it was being ripped to shreds, sliced, diced, and stomped on with every word the doctor said. I felt like a BAD MOMMY! There was nothing I could do to help my baby or change this situation. As overwhelmed as I felt I had to stop and think... what did my mom teach me growing up when I began to feel this way? Prayer... prayer is Key! So I cried and I prayed, I cried and I prayed, I cried and I prayed!!!! Needless to say here we are today both of us Blessed and Better than Ever! Praise goes up to my Christ Jesus!

Savannah

XOXOXO *~kisses*~

Mommys Wardrobe

Mom's if you are anything like me, this is your wardrobe:
Five or six good shirts, and
one or two good ole trusty's (pants, jeans, sweats/leggings).
This completes my wardrobe.

Sad huh? Well besides my work clothes this is all I have, and I'm okay with it. Don't get me wrong I would love to have more than this,  but it seems as though every time I set my eyes on that cute sweater or those gorgeous stiletto hills... one of the kiddos needs will take precedent. So considering that this is how it always goes when I am thinking about getting something new, I stopped shopping a long time ago. Every now and again I may pick up a shirt or two MAYBE! Shopping for me now consists of grocery shopping, or going to Wal-Mart/Target and trying to get in and out as quickly as possible. Well for the past two months I had been feeling a bit frumpy, muggy, and just plain unattractive. So today I decided to go shopping BY MYSELF to get a nice (unmotherly) dress AND some heels (shoes are the bonus tell you why later)! Oh and I was going to try it on this time. By the way I HATE and I mean absolutely HATE trying on clothes now. After having four children, a bulge, a roll, a pooch, and a kangaroo pouch (LOL) is... well you get my drift, trying on clothes for me can be a bit of a downer which is another reason why I don't shop. Back to the subject... I went shopping today BY MYSELF and I was a bit nervous when I got there. Looking around the store, my face said it all, I WAS LOST! I hadn't shopped in years and I didn't know where to begin, what colors, what size, what do I do?!?!?  The store clerk asked me if I needed any help, and I replied with a confident NO. I knew my stylish days would come back to me if I kept browsing.

                                           BUT
Unfortunately after a few disastrous attempts of trying to put something together on my own I broke down and admitted to myself... YES I do need some help. It was a little ego bruising, but nothing so bad that I wanted to walk out of the store without a purchase. I asked the clerk for assistance. She gladly helped me rebuild my confidence and gave me her "Fashion Swag" stamp of approval. It felt great to try on clothes that made me look and feel pretty again (and not just a mom). She even helped me find some killer (fabulous) shoes (SHOES ARE ALWAYS A BONUS TO ME BECAUSE THEY ARE MY WEAKNESS)! I'd become so self-conscious about my body after having children that I neglected my inner-beauty. Inner-beauty is your confidence, it's that little voice that let's you know that you are FIERCE!!!!!! It's your little voice telling YOU that you are beautiful even on your worse day. We all have it, but we down play it so much as mother's. It's probably because we are so consumed with the responsibility of home life and trying to keep life balanced for everyone in the home BUT ourselves.  So guess what Moms? PUT YOUR CONFIDENCE ON AND WEAR ARROGANTLY! 

Go shopping, purchase something to make you feel strikingly beautiful, young, vibrant, sexy, and gorgeous! Step outside of your comfort zone; try a new lip color, change your hair, try stiletto nails/heels, or a short sexy dress. Don't tell your husband or the kids just sneak off for a few hours and come home brand new~ don't be afraid, if you're like me, a transformation is long overdue.

Whenever you decide to pamper yourself don't forget to put your CONFIDENCE on and wear it ARROGANTLY. You will walk out the door feeling like a mommy, But you will walk in looking and feeling MUY CALIENTE!

XOXOXO *~kisses~*
K.V.

Mommys honoring MEN on Valentine's Day

Today is The Big Day for ALL things Romance!

Today is the day us Moms are expecting an appreciation of some sort from the man in our lives (husbands, boyfriends,) Today is the day we want to be romanced, pursued, loved, cherished, appreciated for all that we do. We certainly deserve this day, but the MAN in your life deserves a little recognition too. Although they may act as if they don’t care, their heavily guarded emotions need a little pampering at times. Your man loves to be appreciated, honored, respected, and valued. There aren’t many holiday’s dedicated to doing this, but we have to think about our macho yet very sensitive MAN. Lol Sorry guys, but it’s true, you all are very sensitive just in a different way.

Let’s change it up for 2013 Valentine’s Day and appreciate your MAN.

Let’s give him a pick-me up, an ego booster, a “my girl is putty in my hands” macho man's day.

Let’s do it Proudly Moms, and sing Happy Valentine’s Day to all the GOOD GUYS! Tell your MAN how secure he makes you feel, and trust me he will become "putty in your hands!" ;')

Happy switch up 2013 Valentine's Day...

XOXOXOXO *~kisses~*

K.V.