It's All In The Attitude!

I read a great article last week from Working Mother magazine.  It discussed the level of satisfaction moms have with their jobs.  What was so interesting is that it's not what a mom does that matters, its how she looks at what she does.  In a doctor's office, a mom's job satisfaction had less to do with whether she was the doctor, the nurse, or the receptionist, and more to do with her attitude toward her job.  A mom who views her job as a career is much more satisfied than a mom who is just working for a paycheck.

It really hit home, because that story was so true for me!  I never really planned to become a working mom and a student mom at the same time, while my kids are still pretty young.  A few years ago, as it got harder and harder for us to make ends meet on one salary, I realized that staying home wasn't going to be option anymore.  I really struggled with my attitude toward work at first.  I loved my job, but I felt guilty for liking it.  I felt guilty for not being with my family.  Day after day, I hung on to the hope that it was just temporary, that I could one day cut down my hours to very part-time or quit altogether.

Months went by, and I finally had to come to terms with the fact that staying home just wasn't an option for me any more.  That was really hard, but as I accepted the fact that I had to remain a working mom, I found my attitude towards it changing.  I started finding more joy in my job, and I found that not only was that okay, but that it helped me become a better employee and a better mom.  I started focusing more on the fact that I make a difference with what I do and that I help my family when I work.

In turn, that gave me the confidence I needed to return to school.  I realized that as much as I enjoy my job, the pay would never be enough for me to really make a career out of it.  I started thinking about returning to school and launching a career that would bring more job security and a better paycheck.  After lots of research, lots of prayer, and months of agonizing over the decision, I returned to college in January, and I'm now preparing to turn in my application to dental hygiene school.  I can't wait!  Not only am I excited (but terrified!) - my husband and kids are excited too.  My education and my new career have become a family goal.

The difference is definitely in the attitude!  If you would like to read the full article from Working Mother magazine, you can link to it by clicking here.  You can also join in the discussion I'll be starting later tonight on my Blog Frog Community.

Manic Mommy Monday - Family Command Center

This week I'm doubling up for MMM and Works for Me Wednesday...



It never fails to amaze me how many notes, papers, dates, times, lists, and random ideas our family of four generates.  Sometimes I feel like the CEO of a corporation trying to juggle everyone's schedules and to-do lists.  A few years ago, I decided that we needed one central location for all of our pieces of information, and our family command center was born.  It's one place to keep everything from schedules to shopping lists to instructions for dinner, and it costs next to nothing to create.

The first step in creating a family command center is finding the right location.  It needs to be in a central area where everyone has easy access.  For us, the kitchen was the obvious choice.  We do a lot of our homeschooling there, plus the kids hang out there with me a lot while I'm cooking dinner.  I chose to use the side of our refrigerator.  (It drives my poor hubby, who hates having things on the fridge, crazy, but it's the best place.)

Next, decide what you need.  For ours, I have a family calendar (I use Mom's Plan-It calendar), a combination dry erase/bulletin board, a dry erase weekly menu planner, and magnets for anything extra we need.  I found both our board and our menu planner at Target for $5.00 each.  In the past, I've also used it to post for homeschool charts and assignments.

Everyone's schedules are recorded on the calendar, so we all where we all need to be every day.  My kids have learned to check our menu when they want to know what's for dinner, plus, since it's a dry erase board, I can easily rearrange plans if I need to.  I use the marker board to leave instructions for meals or what time dinner will be done in the slow cooker, or just a note that I miss my guys.  It makes life so much easier to have one central location for all of our information!

Manic Mommy Monday - Downtime

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for me as I took my first ever summer session of college - anatomy and physiology II in five weeks. It was crazy! Now I'm enjoying some "downtime" for a few days until the fall semester starts. It's not a lot of time, and it's not completely time off (I'm still working and teaching my class at church) but just being out of school is definitely relaxing for me.

Downtime means a lot to me these days, since it comes much less often than it used to. I've learned how important it is for me relax.  I can juggle a lot, and I can push myself pretty hard, but I learned the hard way how far is too far and when I need to put on the breaks and unwind a little.

I only have a week left until my fall classes start, but I'm trying to sqeeze some reading (Obsessed, by my favorite author, Ted Dekker, as well as one that's been on my list for a while, Same Kind of Different as Me).  I'm also planning on finishing up some projects I started months ago at our church, and bringing some order to our chaotic master bedroom...it seems to be the place where items that don't have a home land.  Of course, my biggest goal is to spend a little extra time with my husband and kids this week, too.  Hanging out with my family is my favorite way to spend my downtime!

Manic Mommy Monday - Mommy Brain

I think I'm going to lose what's left of my mind this week...the weekend was insane as I tried to clean house, work at the church, and get things together for my first day back in class (today from 12:00 to 4:30 - yes, 4 1/2 hours in class - ugh).  Add to that my boys fighting all Sunday afternoon as they were supposed to be cleaning their rooms, and my "mommy brain" was worse than usual!

I suppose it's "mommy brain" - my brain just seems to jump from topic to topic in random order.  My DayPlanner has notes scrawled on Post-It notes throughout it that range from "Talk to advisor about application process" to "Buy present for birthday party" to "Look into buying sno-cone and cotton candy machines for kids church events."  I always say my brain jumps from topic to topic...my husband says it works in spurts...I'm not entirely sure I disagree with him!

I used to be able to sit down and focus on one thing for hours at a time.  Those days are long gone.  I think my brain has just adapted.  When I was single, living with my grandparents, and going to school, I could focus on one thing at at time.  Now as a 30 year old wife, mom, employee, student, and children's minister...well, I'm stretched pretty thin.  I have to be able to change hats, so to speak, at a moment's notice.

I know it's bad...and it's not made better by what my anatomy and physiology teacher told us a few weeks ago.  After the age of 35, the average person loses 7,000 brain cells a day.  Wow, I should be pretty entertaining by the time I'm old and senile!

Manic Mommy Monday - The Right Career Path?

Do you ever wonder if you've picked the right career? Do you have a job or do you have a career that you're really, truly passionate about? I've thought about that a lot in the past few months as I started school and chose a career path different from anything I've ever done.


I started thinking about what career I could go into that matches the skills I have, and it's actually not the one I've chosen. With my skills and experience, I know what I'd be great at - I should be a professional event planner and fundraiser!

As a pastor's wife and children's director, I do a lot of fundraising. I've done everything from silent auctions to bake sales to product sales. I've let kids throw hundreds of water balloons at me and douse me in ketchup. I've made phone calls, mailed letters, and gone from business to business. I've done all but get on my knees and beg for donations (and I've come pretty close to that before) and I must say I've gotten pretty good at it!

I also have years of experience in event planning. We started small - church dinners, Easter Sunday services - and as the years have gone by, the events have gotten bigger. We've done major community events, elaborate Easter and Christmas plays, and banquets attended by people from dozens of area churches. Now on my annual schedule is our church Easter egg hung (10,000+ eggs), our 4th of July car and motorcycle show, our sports camp Vacation Bible School, and our Fall Festival. It's become almost second nature to know what needs to be done when.

I have the experience…but I don't want the job! Lol I know people do those things for a living, but I've got to tell you, volunteering a few times a year is enough for me! It's hard work. As I type this, my family is recuperating from the above mentioned car show. Right now I'm in need of a good masseuse! It's a good feeling when you pull off a successful event, but I'm looking forward to my low-stress career as a dental hygienist.

Manic Mommy Monday - Lessons Learned From Family Trips

We just back a few days ago from a family trip to Alabama for a wedding. We had a blast, and it made me think about past trips we've taken. We always have fun, and we always have funny experience s that we look back on and laugh about…even if they weren't too funny at the time.

• If you child gets carsick easily and you hear the words, "Mom, my tummy hurts," it's already too late.

• Carry a change of clothes somewhere other than the suitcase…which is under the stroller…which is behind the cooler...

• Carry a first aid kit at all times and be prepared for anything short of major surgery - if you don't take one, you'll end up really needing it!

• Kids inevitably need to potty at the exits with no clean bathrooms.

• When you get out of the car to let you child potty beside the road (see above), be careful where you stand…make sure its not on top of a fire ant mound.

• Portable DVD players rival the light bulb as the greatest invention of all time…at least for traveling families.

• No matter how many belts, shoes, socks, etc., your children own, you will not be able to find the items you need the most while you're packing.

Ah, the joys of traveling with children!

Manic Mommy Monday -

Last week I talked about meal planning, which is something I cannot function without. The other thing I can't make it through a week without is my calendar system.


I often tell people that I'm a very organized person…at least on paper. (Off paper…well, that's another story!) I have a personal day planner and a family calendar, and I know that if it doesn't written down on those, it won't get done. Writing things down is the only way to make sure we all know what's going on. Here's what I'm learned about my systems…

• Personal day planner

I've come to depend on my day planner so much that I refer to it as "my brain." It goes everywhere with me. I even have it color-coded (I carry highlighters in my car…I know, I sound really OCD) so I can tell at a glance what anyone's schedule is. In it are my important phone numbers and addresses, book and movie lists, a page of passwords and contact info for work, and more. Anything I might need on a daily basis is there.

There are tons of really good, affordable personal calendar systems available. Personally, I am a huge fan of Franklin Covey, especially their Franklin Covey 365 line at Target. I started out with a personal size ring-bound planner, which you can buy for around $20. It worked great until I started college, when I realized I would need a bigger planner with more space. I loved the flexibility of a ring-bound planner - I could add as many pages and whatever kind of pages I needed.

I switched to a Franklin Covey Simplicity for Moms wire-bound planner, which I bought at Office Depot for around $25. I paired it with a great cover I found at Target for $15 and I was done.

I love the cover because it includes pockets for loose papers, business card slots, and a pen holder. I found a cute one with a cover that can be easily wiped clean. The larger wire-bound planner is much lighter than a ring-bound of it's size, and the Simplicity for Moms has tons of useful pages, including school information, activity/lesson planner pages, and an allowance tracker.

To me, a personal planner is an absolute necessity. You can corral all your notes and information into one area and can find whatever you need at a glance. It's worth th

Next week I'll talk about family calendars and the great options I've found for those,  including a really awesome online family calendar.

Manic Mommy Monday (one day late) - Meal Planning Made Easy

When it comes to organizing my family, I would say that my strongest area is meal planning. I could not function during the week without a meal plan.


Some people plan by the month, but since our schedules are so subject to change, I plan ours by the week. Every Sunday (sometimes earlier in the week if I have time) I sit own with my day planner and plan lunch and dinner for the entire week. Then I make my shopping list directly from my menu, fill it in with other items we need (drinks, snacks, cleaning supplies, etc.) and I'm done.

I probably spend about an hour to an hour an a half a week planning it all out, but it saves countless hours of wondering what to cook or making extra trips to the grocery store. Here are a few tricks I've learned to make menu planning easier:

• Double up and use leftovers.

Almost every time I cook a meal, I make enough to make two meals out of it. So if I make spaghetti on Thursday night, we'll eat it again on Saturday. This saves me time in the kitchen and money at the store by buying in bulk.

• Use your slow cooker.

I am convinced that a slow cooker is a mom's best friend - especially for a working mom. I generally plan two slow cooker meals a week (and since I double the portions, that's four meals out of fourteen done!). If you haven't used a slow cooker a lot, start by checking out two of my favorite sites - A Year of Slow Cooking and Recipe Zaar.

• Have a flexible plan for breakfast.

Some mornings I'm home and able to cook breakfast, but other days I'm off to work or school before anyone else is even awake. I keep a variety of breakfast food stocked - cereal, frozen waffles, sausage biscuits, yogurt, fruit, etc. I also like to use recipes that have to be refrigerated overnight, like stuffed French toast, which I've also posted a recipe for. Just pull it out of the fridge and pop it in the oven, and you have a quick, easy, and very yummy breakfast.

• Keep a few "emergency meals" on hand.

No mater how well you plan, things don't always go according to plan. It doesn't have to be fancy - canned soup, chicken nuggets, frozen ravioli - but keep a couple of emergency meals on hand in case a ball game runs over or you forget to thaw meat for dinner.

It takes a little time and practice, but the time and money you save by meal planning is well worth it!

"Balance" Only Happens In Gymnastics

Do you ever feel like you've just had enough? I didn't think I would feel that way once I was done with the semester, but I guess the stress of everything is just now really catching up to me. This past week was hard. I had major work issues to deal with - work crises would be a better description - some big church events (and lots of cooking to go along with them), and the official end of school. I think it just all piled up on me, along with residual stress from having just finished finals.


Right now, I feel like someone needs me every minute of every day, and I'm just getting lost in the shuffle. I have to be the best wife, mom, pastor's wife, employee/manager, co-worker, children's ministries director, student, cook, homemaker…I'm starting to think "balance" is just something that happens in a gymnastics class. There is no such thing as balance in my life.

I feel like the guy at the circus who spins plates. I'm always rushing from plate to plate, trying to keep everything going, but something is in danger of falling all the time. Sometimes I need to be able to let a plate fall here and there, but nobody is willing to let it be their plate. It leaves me feeling frazzled and fried. I love all that I do, but sometimes I need to let something go and just relax a little. So why do I seem to be the only one who understands that?

I'm rarely home, and never until at least 7:00 p.m. during the week. When I'm not working, I'm either in school (when school's in session) or at the church. I feel like I don't see my husband and kids enough, and when I do see them, I'm exhausted and stressed and trying to get 15 things done when I only have time for 5. I feel like nothing in my life is getting my time and focus the way it really needs to.

My husband is an incredible dad who does an amazing job. I could never do this without him, and we're blessed that the kids can be with him while I work and go to school, but I have to admit, sometimes I'm jealous. I miss staying home with my boys. I miss homeschooling them. I miss taking them to the park and the library. I feel guilty that I've only been to one tee ball practice because I work every weeknight except Wednesday, when we're in church. I even had to miss his tee ball game this past Saturday because I had to work.

I'm so afraid my kids are going to look back and resent me for not being there more. Even though I have no choice about working, and in the long term this is going to be so good for us as a family - great pay, great hours, and much more time with my family - will they understand that? Or will they think I made the wrong decision? Right now it all leaves me feeling like the "worst mother of the year" award should go to me.

I think a few weeks out of school, and a few days off with my family next month, will make things better. I still think I'm doing the right thing for my family, and I'm glad I decided to do it. In some ways it's been easier than I thought it would be, but in some ways, I had no idea how hard it was going to be. I really had no idea what kind of toll it would take it on me personally. It's not an easy road.